06.06.2012
Union State to survive Eurasian Economic Union foundation
MINSK, 6 June (BelTA) – The Union State of Belarus and Russia will survive the foundation of the Eurasian Economic Union, Ambassador of Russia to Belarus Alexander Surikov told media in Minsk on 6 June.
The diplomat stressed that the authority of the Eurasian Economic Union, which is supposed to be founded in 2015, will be limited to economic matters only. The Union State takes care of a very large range of cooperation matters, including equal rights of citizens of Belarus and Russia, joint agreements on education and pensions, and military and political cooperation. Thus, the Union State is a much more advanced institution and cannot disappear in three years as some claim.
The diplomat stressed: “If the Eurasian Economic Union expands its authority into the areas the Union State takes care of, then we can talk about something but for now the Union State is an example for setting up the union”.
The Ambassador said he believes the emerging Eurasian Economic Union is kind of an example of economy for the Union State. He specified: “We couldn’t transfer functions to a supranational authority in the Union State. But we could accomplish it in the G3 union. Therefore the Eurasian Economic Union should follow the example of the Union State and contrariwise”.
The diplomat concluded that the Union State of Belarus and Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union are not mutually exclusive and can exist alongside each other.
The diplomat stressed that the authority of the Eurasian Economic Union, which is supposed to be founded in 2015, will be limited to economic matters only. The Union State takes care of a very large range of cooperation matters, including equal rights of citizens of Belarus and Russia, joint agreements on education and pensions, and military and political cooperation. Thus, the Union State is a much more advanced institution and cannot disappear in three years as some claim.
The diplomat stressed: “If the Eurasian Economic Union expands its authority into the areas the Union State takes care of, then we can talk about something but for now the Union State is an example for setting up the union”.
The Ambassador said he believes the emerging Eurasian Economic Union is kind of an example of economy for the Union State. He specified: “We couldn’t transfer functions to a supranational authority in the Union State. But we could accomplish it in the G3 union. Therefore the Eurasian Economic Union should follow the example of the Union State and contrariwise”.
The diplomat concluded that the Union State of Belarus and Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union are not mutually exclusive and can exist alongside each other.