Putin and Lukashenko agreed upon setting-up a unified oil and gas market and increase trade between the two countries
The President of Russia – Vladimir Putin and the President of Belarus – Alexander Lukashenko have agreed to deepen the economic ties by setting-up a unified oil and gas market and increase trade in the wake of sanctions, imposed by the European Union (E.U.) on Belarus.
In their agreement, Putin and Lukashenko have agreed to 28 integration road maps that covered common approaches to macro-economic policies, including monetary policy, taxes and custom rules.
Russia and Belarus would also sign a document before December 2023 to create a unified gas market and conclude similar agreements for oil and electricity. Moscow would also leave its prices for natural gas unchanged for Belarus at the current $128.5 per 1,000 cubic metres in 2022.
Speaking on the occasion, Putin said, “Our talks with the President of Belarus were intensive and constructive, as they have always been, which is fully in line with the nature of relations between our countries.”
He further said, “I have said this before but would like to repeat it today: Belarus, for us, is a good neighbour and our closest ally. Russian-Belarusian cooperation rests on the principles of mutual respect, support and consideration for each other’s interests. Close friendly ties between Russia and Belarus are buttressed by a common history and spiritual values and often by family relations.”
Besides, Putin has said Russia would provide Belarus with around U.S. $ 630-640 million in loans by the end of 2022. The talks happened on the same day that Russia and Belarus formally opened vast joint military drills, a week-long exercise across the territory of both countries and in the Baltic Sea that has alarmed some NATO countries.
Lukashenko said, “Each of today’s programmes – they actually evolved into programmes about 18 months ago, when we approached specific agreements because we thought that we had enough framework plans and needed more specific ones to respond to our people’s requests, and so – each of the programmes is a specific plan of actions we are going to implement.”
This show of solidarity is a clear indication that Russia is opposing the E.U. Alexander Lukashenko is accused of rigging the August 9, 2020, polls. Lukashenko has denied all allegations of vote-rigging. It is believed he sought help from Russia to stay in power.
This was followed by mass protest across the country where people demanded his immediate resignation. The protests are still being held every Sunday. Tens of thousands of protesters have been detained and many have been brutally beaten. The E.U. has refused to recognise Lukashenko as the President of Belarus.
The Belarus opposition fears that Lukashenko will trade off chunks of sovereignty in return for even more backing from the Kremlin against the West.
