Belarus ambassador: Closer integration with Russia may take a couple of years

The intensification of Belarus-Russia integration may take ‘one or two years,’ Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Uladzimir Syamashka told TASS.

The two countries have achieved a lot when it comes to healthcare, education and the freedom of travel. However, it is necessary to analyze the 1999 agreement on the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the Belarus envoy said. The two governments have set up a working group headed by Belarusian Ministry of Economy Dzmitry Kruty and Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin tasked to work out a plan for closer integration.

“It is necessary to analyze what has been fulfilled since 1999, what is no longer up-to-date and what needs to be added or worked out in detail. All the risks and benefits of a single currency, emission centre and the joint tax legislation need to be taken into consideration. These issues are complicated,” Mr Syamashka noted.

If the Tax Codes are unified, it will be necessary to take into account the difference in the structure of the budgets in the two countries. Russia fills its budget mainly with money from natural gas and oil revenues while Belarus mostly sells the products of keuy industrial enterprises, the Belarusian Ambassador said.