Deepening technological sovereignty and creating decent conditions for citizens of both countries: Belarus and Russia are taking systematic and progressive steps to create a common economy and humanitarian space.

At the end of 2026, the three-year cycle of the provisions of the Treaty establishing the Union State will end. What will the content of the next document be? And what is currently hindering union integration? Participants in the high-level meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State sought answers.

The border region's openness to cooperation with Belarusians, although this is primarily focused on trade, could become the very best practice that will be expanded further into Russia.

Cooperation is growing in numbers, and the prospects are clearly visible. Pskov could become the first Russian city where Belarusian goods can be purchased at prices comparable to those in Belarus. The Vitebsk Trade Center will showcase products from beyond Pskov's sister region.

Transport and passenger traffic are growing: the countries need seamless connections, and this issue was on the agenda on May 19.

Mikhail Vedernikov, Governor of the Pskov Region of Russia:

"We actually have very close and productive relations with the Vitebsk Region. And today we discussed the need to include other regions: the Mogilev and Brest Regions. Therefore, I think there are great prospects here. We plan to send business missions there from our side and, of course, we look forward to welcoming our colleagues here so that our cooperation is as effective as with the Vitebsk Region."

High-speed trains will connect the Vitebsk and Pskov Regions as early as 2026; the decision has already been made. The Belarusian co-chair, Dmitry Krutoy, Head of the Presidential Administration, calls for expediting the process to avoid overburdening the future document. The project should be ready by the fall and could be no less ambitious.

 Dmitry Krutoy, Head of the Presidential Administration of Belarus:

"Based on the results of the first three months, that is, the first quarter of 2026, the volume of trade in goods and services increased by another 13.5 % compared to the same period in 2025. If we maintain the momentum of the first quarter, we will reach the specific figure of $70 billion."

Russia is Belarus's main trading partner. The countries have increased milk and meat supplies. Up to 90% of settlements are made in national currencies. The partners have a significant level of integration of their tax and customs systems, which prevents exports and ensures the transparency of trade.

The Committee on Standardization and Quality will serve as an additional filter. As part of the unified industrial policy, dialogue continues on granting the status of "Union State Goods." Mechanical engineering, machine tools, buses, and trucks are part of the pilot project. The list will be expanded.

"Within the framework of the key platforms that are currently being formed, such as INNOPROM. Belarus or even the classic INNOPROM in Yekaterinburg, we will strive to significantly increase our interaction activities and the search for new cooperative ties. Perhaps these enterprises need to be segmented by economic sector, by priority—machine tool manufacturing, electrical engineering, and classic mechanical engineering—so that they don't interact within these 'industrial hodgepodges' but rather have, so to speak, a more established industry history," noted Dmitry Krutoy.

The topic of electronic digital signatures has been on the Union's agenda for several years, and is now moving into pilot industrial operation. The meeting agenda included approximately 20 issues, including those related to the petrochemical industry and product sales, tourism (the concept of "tourist cashback" may be introduced here), and a more active consolidation of scientific potential.

In 2026, plans call for the release of a conceptual document on agricultural policy. There are also a number of other issues, the resolution of which will enable access to a single union market, which will improve the quality of life for residents of the two countries of the Union State.