Parliamentarians urge compliance of legal acts with Union State Treaty

MINSK, 28 March (BelTA) – Union State parliamentarians are in favor of the legal review of all the legal acts and regulations to verify their compliance with the Union State Foundation Treaty signed in December 1999. The statement was made by Mr Anatoly Lokot, Chairman of the Social Policy, Science, Culture, and Humanitarian Affairs Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, at the session of the commission on 28 March, BelTA has learned.

“Members of the national parliaments should make the decision on carrying out the legal review of all the legal acts and regulations passed in our countries to verify their compliance with the Union State Foundation Treaty,” said Anatoly Lokot.

At the session the commission members discussed a specific bill on social guarantees for citizens of foreign countries.

“The matter of the bill’s compliance with the Union State Treaty will be raised during the ratification of the agreement by the State Duma. The question will have to be answered. If the special status of the Belarusians is not stipulated, then the agreement will have very little chances of being ratified,” stressed the MP.

Anatoly Lokot explained that the treaty on founding the Union State uses the term “Union State citizens”. “An international treaty enjoys a higher status than national laws. We should enforce the fulfillment of every paragraph of the treaty,” said the MP.

Participants of the session agreed that equal social guarantees for citizens of Belarus and Russia in the two countries are generally secured but sometimes issues arise and their resolution is controlled by Union State MPs among others.