Union of Russia and Belarus
From Freepedia
The Union of Russia and Belarus (Russian: Союз России и Беларуси, also called the Belarusian-Russian Union State) is a supranational entity comprising Russia and Belarus that was initiated by the latter's president, Alexander Lukashenko.
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Creation
Originally formed on April 2 1996 under the name Community of Russia and Belarus, the basis of the union was strengthened on both April 3 1997 (when its name was changed to its present form) and on December 25 1998, with the signature of several agreements intending to provide greater political, economic, and social integration.
The Treaty on a Union of Belarus and Russia was signed on December 8, 1999. The then Milosevic's Yugoslavia also joined the union that year as an observing member.
The Union of Russia and Belarus seeks to harmonise the political and economic differences between its two members, in particular by standardising taxes, tariffs, and the monetary system. Member states of the union retain full sovereignty, similar to those of the European Union.
Institutions and legal framework
The Treaty on the Formation of a Union State has established the following institutions:
- A Supreme State Council, made up of the Presidents, Prime Ministers, and the heads of both chambers of the Parliaments of both countries.
- A Council of Ministers
- A Permanent Committee
- A bicameral Union Parliament, comprised of an elected House of Representatives which contains 75 deputies from Russia and 28 from Belarus, and a House of the Union with an equal number of deputies from each nation, appointed by the executive branch.
- A Supreme Court of Justice
- An Accounting Chamber, controlling the implementation of the budget.
Pavel Borodin is the current state secretary of the Union. He was first appointed by the Supreme State Council on January 26, 2000 for a four-year term. In 2004, his term was renewed for another four years.
Developments
Both member states seem to have lost their initial enthusiasm for the union, with first Russia, then Belarus, restoring customs controls along their common border in 2001, effectively ending the customs union. Also, plans had been set in motion to implement a common currency across the union, but these have been postponed several times. Finally, a long-awaited agreement on a draft constitution has been put on indefinite hold. According to Belarus' President Lukashenko, the Russian government seeks to model the union on the European Union, while Belarus would like it to resemble the former Soviet Union.
Belarus and Russia had been collecting the VAT in the country of origin, but from January 1, 2005 VAT is collected in the country of destination (just like in most other independent countries in the world). This change gave rise to a considerable degree of confusion and has disrupted many trade operations between Belarus and Russia.
On February 10, 2005 almost all (estimated 85%-90%) private enterpreneurs in Belarus staged a one-day warning strike, protesting the new VAT scheme between the two countries and Lukashenka's economic policies.
See also
External links
- Union Treaty Between Belarus and Russia (in English)
Categories: International organizations | Foreign relations of Belarus | Foreign relations of Russia
