Russia and Belarus

Author: Linda DeLaine
Website: RL Online
Department:
Page: 1   ( 2) pages

Summary: Background and current information regarding the Russia - Belarus merger and why the former Soviet state is of importance to Russia.

The leaders of Russia and Belarus; Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Alexander Lukashenko; agreed, on December 25th, 1998, to a merger of their two countries.

Belarus is a former Soviet State whose capital is the city of Minsk. The merger unites the 10 million people of Belarus and the 147 million of Russia.

In 1997, Lukashenko and Yeltsin signed the Treaty on a Union Between Belarus and Russia. Lukashenko, who became president of Belarus on August 10, 1994, is noted for his style of government which includes centralization of authority within the executive and not the legislature branch of national government.

The following are the goals of the union state:

- to ensure the peaceful and democratic development of the fraternal peoples of the participating states, strengthen their friendship, and increase well-being and the standard of living;

- to complete the formation of a customs union and create a unified economic space to ensure socio-economic development on the basis of combining the material and intellectual potentials of the participating states and using market mechanisms of the operation of the economy;

- to constantly observe fundamental human and civil rights and liberties in accordance with generally accepted principles and norms of international law;

- to conduct a coordinated foreign policy and policy in the area of defence;

- to form a single legal system of a democratic state;

- to conduct a coordinated social policy focused on creating conditions to ensure a person's life of dignity and free development;

- to ensure the security of the union state and to fight crime;

- to bolster peace, security and mutually advantageous cooperation in Europe and throughout the world and to develop the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Those in favor of the Union see it as building block for closer relations between the former Soviet republics. The Russia-Belarus merger will create a gradual development of intranational agencies. The merger with Belarus is very important to Russia. Unlike the other Baltic states, Lukashenko a Russian nationalist and strongly in favor of a revival of Russia as a powerful world leader. Anyone who trembles at the idea of a strong Russian empire also fears and dislikes Lukashenko.

Alexander Lukashenko expresses open dislike for the West. The West is not fond of Lukashenko but cannot say too much about his undemocratic approach to governing his nation. Latvia and Estonia, who are being readied for NATO and EU memberships, are not democratic in practice, either. Somewhere between 25 to 40 percent of the people do not have the right to vote because they are Russians.

The Russian - Belarus union focuses on practical issues of quality of life, commerce and trade. Trade with Russia consitutes about 55 percent of Belarus' total foreign trade activities. Belarus is second only to Germany in trade with Russia. In typical form, President Putin will not comment on any of Belarus' internal issues or electoral system. Russia cannot and will not interfere in the internal affairs of Belarus . . . it is up to the people to make a choice, and we shall respect it. (Strana.ru).

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