ST. PETERSBURG, May 13. /TASS/. Over 80 Union State programs to the tune of 56.7 bln rubles (over $734 mln) have been implemented within the framework of the Union State Treaty, Dmitry Mezentsev, State Secretary of the Union State, said at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum on Saturday.

"Since the Union State Treaty became effective, 82 union programs for a total amount of 56.7 bln Russian rubles have been implemented. They involve the sphere of microelectronics and electronics, healthcare, materials science, and I would particularly stress the sphere of space exploration," he said, stressing that the treaty determined the future of interaction between Russia and Belarus.

On December 8, 1999, the leaders of Russia and Belarus Boris Yeltsin and Alexander Lukashenko signed the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State of Russia and Belarus (the termless document came into effect on January 26, 2000 after being ratified by the parliaments of both countries). That said, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus preserve their sovereignty, territorial integrity, state structure, constitution and national symbols as well as their membership in international organizations.