Russia, Belarus to deepen integration into Union State in new summit
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The summit, which will be held on the 29th of January, will assess the integration processes over 2021-2023 and shape strategies for 2024-2026.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attend a joint news conference following their talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, February 18, 2022. (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko are set to meet on January 29th in St. Petersburg for the Supreme State Council of the Union State summit, Sputnik reported.
According to an official statement by the Kremlin, the summit aims to assess the outcomes of integration processes spanning 2021-2023 and to shape strategies for the forthcoming three years.
The meeting will specifically focus on evaluating the implementation of the foundational document: "Main directions of the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State for 2021-2023". This pivotal review is expected to provide insights into the progress made and challenges faced during the outlined period.
"On January 29, 2024, a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State will be held in St. Petersburg, in which President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko will take part," the Kremlin said in a statement.
The summit is poised to mark a crucial juncture for the two nations as they are expected to endorse significant decisions aimed at further deepening their integration. Among the key agenda items is the approval of the "main directions of the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State" for the upcoming period spanning 2024 to 2026.
Read more: Belarus expecting deliveries of Russian air defense systems
Russian nukes deployed in Belarus
In late March last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian tactical nuclear weapons would be placed in Belarus.
Belarus previously confirmed that the decision comes in response to years of Western pressure, including sanctions, as well as the military up by NATO member states near its borders.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia had clarified late in March that Russia was not violating its non-proliferation commitments by deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus because Minsk would not be given control of any nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Later in May, President Lukashenko called on other former Soviet republics wishing to enjoy this privilege: namely Kazakhstan after the Kazakh President underlined the disparities in integration within the Eurasian Economic Union.
Lukashenko invited countries wishing to acquire nuclear weapons to join Russia and Belarus' Union State.
Read more: Lukashenko: Belarus cannot do without Russia
