Lukashenko: Consolidation in the Union State allows fast response to challenges, threats

MINSK, 2 April (BelTA) – Chairman of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko congratulated Belarusians and Russians on the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.

The head of state noted that 25 years ago an agreement was signed to establish the Commonwealth of Belarus and Russia, which allowed the two fraternal peoples to overcome destructive divisive trends in the economy and social sphere and to move on to building a common home on a solid foundation of historical, spiritual and cultural unity.

“We have passed a long way over the quarter of a century. The Union State has no match in the Eurasian space in terms of convergence of national legislations, the development of the legal framework and the scale of interaction in the manufacturing, science and technology, defense, foreign policy, social and humanitarian areas. We have not only preserved, but also significantly expanded cooperation ties in manufacturing, education and culture,” the head of state said. 

Speaking about common achievements, the Belarusian leader named the joint launch of spacecraft, the development of supercomputers, the implementation of numerous high-tech projects in industry and agriculture. According to him, the commissioning of the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was another important cooperation milestone.  

The head of state recalled that citizens of Belarus and Russia have equal access to education, healthcare, social security, employment opportunities, free movement and choice of place of residence. “We have got used to these impressive achievements. As we were going through hard times last year, we saw once again that the opportunities taken for granted by many are really important and mutual support is extremely valuable,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

In his opinion, Belarus and Russia joined efforts to fight the novel coronavirus infection, which was another testimony to the truly fraternal, friendly and solid ties between the two countries. “The pandemic has pushed negative geopolitical trends to the limit, and today Belarus and Russia are experiencing unprecedented pressure from outside. In this context the consolidation on all the platforms of the Union State allows us to respond promptly and effectively to the whole range of today’s challenges and threats; it is a guarantee of security and strategic stability in the region,” the Belarusian leader noted.

The head of state believes that it is obvious that Russians and Belarusians are sincerely interested in mutually beneficial cooperation and stronger integration in the Union State based on the principles of equality and independence of the two states.

“I am convinced that together we will overcome all difficulties, and prove that we made the right decision 25 years ago when we opted for consolidation and joint development of our countries within the framework of the Union State,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.