Russia to resume discussions on Union State integration after constitutional reform in Belarus - expert

<p> MINSK, Mar 15 - PrimePress. Russia will return to the discussion of deeper integration within the framework of the Union State after the constitutional reform in Belarus and the elections, which can change the political landscape of the country. This opinion was expressed by Denis Bukonkin, Director of the Public Association “Centre for Study of Foreign Policy and Security”, researcher of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, in his comments for the portal “Eurasia. Expert”. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Bukonkin believes that at the moment the issues of integration within the framework of the Union State have temporarily taken a back seat for both Russia and Belarus. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “At the moment we can say that against the background of the political crisis in Belarus, the continuing pandemic in the world and the region, the decline of economic development in almost all the countries the issues of integration within the framework of the Union State have receded into the background for Russia and Belarus,” he said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> At the same time, expert notes that Russia is ready to return to the discussion of deeper integration within the framework of the Union State after the constitutional reform in Belarus and the elections, which can change the political landscape of the country. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “It is quite logical for Russia to wait till the end of the internal political crisis in the neighbouring country, as the conclusion of any agreement in its process is expected to run into questions about the legitimacy of decisions and attempts to take advantage of the weak ally position of some countries, claiming to be "the main agents of democracy and human rights," he said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> At the same time, according to Bukonkin, there are a number of objective political and economic factors that act as serious constraints to the development of the Union State. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The expert calls “a rather reverent attitude to issues related to the preservation of the sovereignty and independence of each state” as internal constraints of effective integration. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “The Union State as an integration association naturally limits the sovereignty of each country because it requires transferring part of it to the supranational level. This problem is particularly acute for Belarus,” says the expert. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Furthermore, the parties often situationally use the integration theme as a bargaining chip for foreign policy or as an element of political support within the country. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In addition, Bukonkin considers the different political and economic systems of the Russian Federation and Belarus as objective obstacles to the integration. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “Due to the existence of different legislation, the share of private and state business and even the overall structure of the economic and political model will predictably be little compatible without steps to harmonize legislation and develop a series of measures to level out the differences between the countries,” says the expert. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In addition, he stresses, the veto power of both countries becomes a double-edged obstacle to integration. “On the one hand, if each of the countries has this right, it gives Belarus the opportunity to control Russia in a tighter integration. Without this right, Russia would dominate politically (as an example: the plans for a union parliament envisaged 75 seats for the Russian Federation and only 28 for the Belarusian side). Under such conditions, supranational parliamentary bodies will not become an effective tool to promote integration and will not receive serious powers and responsibilities from the leadership of the two countries,” Bukonkin noted. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In his words, the lack of an institutional framework and enshrined common values, which in the case of the European Union became determinants for the development of integration, can serve as serious constraints for the development of the Union State. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, during the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on February 22, 2021, they discussed the roadmaps for deeper integration of the two countries. Lukashenko said on March 2 that most of them "can be signed right now," for instance the roadmap for convergence of the tax systems, but there are some nuances in several areas of cooperation, which need elaboration on the intergovernmental level. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, earlier, Russia proposed a transition to a single tax digital platform. In the first half of 2020, the Tax Ministry of Belarus spoke against the transition to a single digital tax platform with Russia, pointing at dependence on the conscientiousness of Russian entities when fulfilling obligations to ensure unhindered access to information systems of regulatory bodies and business entities of Belarus, and the possibility of technical blocking of “unwanted” Belarusian market players. However, after a meeting with Mishustin in autumn 2020, Lukashenko suggested that Minister of Taxes and Levies Sergey Nalivaiko "should take a closer look" at the issue of switching to a single tax digital platform with the Russian Federation. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, the governments of Belarus and Russia initialed a Union State integration program in September 2019 and approved 31 roadmaps in various areas. Draft roadmaps were expected to be coordinated by November 2020, and Lukashenko and Putin were supposed to approve the entire package of integration documents on December 8, 2019 during the events timed to the 20th anniversary of the Belarus-Russia Union Treaty of December 8, 1999. The signing of the package did not take place. Belarus said that the parties failed to reach accompanying agreements on Russian energy prices, compensation for Belarus’ losses resulted from the tax manoeuvre in the Russian oil industry, and removal of barriers to Belarusian commodities in the Russian market. Lukashenko said he would not endorse the roadmaps unless the above fundamental issues are finally resolved. End </p> <p>   </p>

2021-03-16

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