Presidents of Belarus and Russia Sign Joint Statement: Key Points

Following negotiations in Moscow, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement.

The document highlights that the negotiations were conducted in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding, and trust. The leaders discussed a wide range of relevant issues on the bilateral agenda and prospective areas for further development of Belarus-Russia cooperation.

Lukashenko and Putin confirmed the alliance nature of relations between Belarus and Russia and the steadfast course towards expanding strategic partnership across all sectors. "Belarus and Russia will continue to steadily increase bilateral trade, economic, and investment cooperation, including collaboration in industrial cooperation and infrastructure construction," states the joint statement.

The presidents called for further development of inter-parliamentary and inter-party ties, emphasizing the role of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia. They support the expansion of interregional and cross-border cooperation.

The statement also addresses the importance of enhancing humanitarian ties and collaboration, emphasizing the special significance of joint efforts in fostering patriotic education among youth and combating the glorification of Nazism and the falsification of history.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to progressive integration within the Union State, strengthening its economic and technological potential, and creating common spaces in social-economic, humanitarian, defense, migration, informational, and other domains, as well as aligning the rights and freedoms of citizens and the conditions for business operations in both countries.

"The parties will continue to increase joint efforts to effectively respond to modern challenges and threats to strengthen the security of Belarus and Russia within the common defense space of the Union State," the statement says.

An exchange of letters regarding the ratification of the Treaty on Security Guarantees within the Union State took place, after which the treaty came into effect.

In the joint statement, Lukashenko and Putin noted that new military-political realities necessitate the formation of a stable system of Eurasian security. They also called on other countries to support the initiative for developing an Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st century. In foreign policy, Belarus and Russia aim to promote the further establishment of a multipolar system of international relations based on mutual respect for interests and collective resolution of international issues.

The document addresses cooperation within integration structures, emphasizing efforts to deepen integration ties and collaboration within the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Russia supports and shares the priorities of Belarus's chairmanship in EAEU bodies this year.

The heads of state recognize the leading role of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in ensuring regional stability and emphasize the focus on further improving the collective security system, especially during Russia's upcoming CSTO chairmanship in 2026.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is viewed by Belarus and Russia as a foundation for establishing an architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia. The countries plan to enhance collaboration within the SCO in political, economic, and humanitarian areas.

Welcoming Belarus's upcoming status as a partner state in BRICS in 2024, the presidents agreed to conduct regular exchanges of views on cooperation within the union and to establish systematic interactions with it.

Lukashenko and Putin reiterated their commitment to harmonizing integration processes within the framework of the Greater Eurasian Partnership initiative, including liberalizing trade relations and jointly developing transportation and logistics infrastructure along with other areas of economic cooperation.

The parties plan to strengthen coordination within UN bodies and structures and continue collaboration aimed at enhancing the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Belarus and Russia also confirmed their shared approaches to securing the informational space of the Union State and enhancing its technological sovereignty for development purposes. The parties will take necessary steps to expedite the commencement of a media company for the Union State.

The joint statement also condemns the sanctions policy in various forms, emphasizing that unilateral coercive measures taken bypassing UN Security Council resolutions are illegal.

Additionally, the presidents signed an agreement on mutual measures to protect citizens from unjust persecution by foreign states and international judicial bodies. Under this treaty, the parties intend to jointly combat the negative trend of politicizing international legal cooperation in criminal matters and promote the strengthening of universally recognized norms of international law concerning the sovereign equality of states and the resulting immunities for state officials.

The parties will continue to coordinate positions regarding NATO's activities and its member countries, aimed at creating challenges and threats to the security and interests of Belarus and Russia. They specifically highlight the destabilizing actions of NATO countries amid the Ukrainian crisis, which pose serious strategic risks, plans to deploy American intermediate- and short-range ground-based missiles in Europe, the increase in missile defense capabilities fueling the European segment of the U.S. global missile defense system, the establishment of military infrastructure and substantial combat forces along the borders of the Union State, as well as the intensification of military activity in areas of confrontation.

The leaders condemned the aggressive and confrontational nature of the European Union's policy towards Belarus and Russia, interference in internal affairs, and the application of unilateral sanctions, including extraterritorial ones, violating the UN Charter. They emphasized that such measures harm international and sustainable development, and the political pressure exerted on third countries through illegitimate sanctions mechanisms is unacceptable.

Lukashenko expressed gratitude to President Putin for the warm welcome and invited him to visit Belarus.