MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. Russia and Belarus annually mark the Day of Unity of the Peoples on April 2, established to commemorate the 1996 treaty on the creation of the Community of Russia and Belarus, now the Union State.

History of the Union State’s creation

On April 2, 1996, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed in Moscow a treaty establishing the Community of Russia and Belarus, which envisaged the creation of a politically and economically integrated association. A year later, on April 2, 1997, it was transformed into the Union of Russia and Belarus. On May 23, 1997, its charter was adopted.

On December 25, 1998, the heads of the two states signed a declaration on further unification, defining the main goals of integration, including coordination of foreign policy, defense and security issues, the creation of a single economic space, and the protection of citizens’ rights.

On December 8, 1999, in Moscow, Boris Yeltsin and Alexander Lukashenko signed a treaty on the establishment of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. The treaty entered into force on January 26, 2000.

The Union State established joint governing bodies, including the Supreme State Council, the Council of Ministers, and a Standing Committee headed by a state secretary. The legislative body of the integration structure is the Parliamentary Assembly, which is expected to be replaced in the future by a Union State parliament.

Goals and objectives

The Union State is based on the principles of sovereign equality of the participating states, voluntariness and good-faith fulfillment of mutual obligations. The 1999 treaty also provides for the delimitation of powers between the Union State and its member states.

The agreement stipulates that as the Union State develops, its constitution should be adopted. Until its adoption, the status and functioning of the Union State are regulated by a constitutional act, the preparation of which has been underway since 2002.

The creation of the Union State implies the formation of a single economic space, the introduction of a single currency, and the implementation of coordinated foreign and social policies. These objectives are being pursued in stages, with priority given to economic and social issues.

Key areas of cooperation

The legal framework of Russia-Belarus cooperation includes more than 300 interstate and intergovernmental treaties and agreements. At present, joint programs are being implemented in industry, energy, construction, information technology, and space exploration.

On September 9, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed on 28 Union programs (roadmaps) for further integration, covering more than 1,000 measures. On November 4, 2021, these programs were approved at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State.

The sides agreed to pursue a unified macroeconomic and monetary policy, create a common payment space on the territory of the Union State (with the issue of introducing a single currency postponed), transition to a unified industrial policy, and ensure common access to public procurement and state contracts. They also agreed to establish unified gas, oil and petroleum product markets, as well as a common electricity market, harmonize customs and tax legislation (including unified approaches to indirect taxation), abolish roaming charges, and develop unified approaches in labor and social legislation.

On January 29, 2024, at a meeting of the Supreme State Council in the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna (St. Petersburg), the presidents of Russia and Belarus stated the completion of the "Main Directions for the Implementation of the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State for 2021-2023" and approved a similar program for the next three-year period (2024-2026).

The main directions for 2024-2026 include macroeconomic policy, statistical systems, a common financial market, coordinated tax policy, customs cooperation, unified industrial and agricultural policies, the functioning of integrated energy markets, the operation of nuclear energy facilities, an integrated transport system, and the formation of a common information space, as well as cooperation in cultural, humanitarian, scientific, technical and social spheres. Work is currently underway on the main directions for 2027-2029.

The Union State has adopted a military doctrine, a migration concept, and a security concept. On March 13, 2025, a treaty on security guarantees within the Union State entered into force. Under the treaty, the parties consider Russia’s nuclear weapons an important factor in preventing both nuclear and conventional military conflicts, as well as a means of deterrence, the use of which is regarded as an extreme and forced measure.

Trade turnover

On February 26, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow, said that bilateral trade in 2025 amounted to about $52 billion, an increase of nearly 3% compared to 2024.

Belarus mainly supplies food products, agricultural raw materials, vehicles, machinery and equipment to Russia. Russia’s main exports include oil and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, and non-precious metals.

Budget

The Union State budget is formed from contributions by Russia and Belarus, as well as remaining funds from previous budgets and income from the Union State Broadcasting Organization.

The 2026 budget was adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly on December 9, 2025. Its revenues are planned at 8.07 billion rubles (about $100 million), with expenditures of 6.31 billion rubles (about $80 million). Russia’s contribution amounts to 4.82 billion rubles (about $60 million), while Belarus contributes 2.59 billion rubles (about $32 million). Budget funds are allocated to finance six programs, one project and 37 events.