Lukashenko said he is ready to sign documents on integration with the Russian Federation
Russia and Belarus will sign an “integration strategy until 2025” in May.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced this today at a meeting with Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (former Speaker of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus), reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“We plan to sign an integration strategy until 2025 in Minsk this May. Of course, we must offer a serious version of this strategy,” said the President of the Republic of Belarus.
A “serious option” for him is still common energy prices with Russia.
“If we are talking about a single market for oil and gas (this is important for us, so I take this example), it means that in 2021-2024 we must gradually approach virtually uniform pricing principles,” Lukashenko noted.
At the same time, he would like to secure preferential prices forever.
“So that it doesn’t turn out like this: we get together in December 2024 and, as usual, we don’t agree on something; someone is not ready to work according to the common principles of the oil, gas, agricultural, and alcohol products markets. And then we begin to invent some kind of exceptions or leave restrictions and so on,” Lukashenko said.
At the end of 2019, Alexander Lukashenko twice refused to sign roadmaps for the integration of the two states, which provided for the introduction of supranational governing bodies, a common tax system, a conversion center and even a common currency. After this, problems arose in Belarus with the provision of raw materials to oil refineries.
Lukashenko stated that he is ready to sign documents on integration with Russia.