Belarus–Russia relations
Encyclopedia
Russia remains the largest and most important partner for Belarus both in the political and economic fields. The Treaty on Equal Rights of Citizens between Belarus and Russia was signed in December 1998, covering employment, an access to medical care and education. The two countries constitute the supranational
Union State.
collapsed, the newly formed Russian state tried to maintain control over the post-Soviet space by creating, on December 8, 1991, a regional organization – the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS). However, Belarus
, as other republics in the CIS, started to drift away from Russia
, which at that time was attempting to stabilize its broken economy and ties with the West
. In the early 90s Russia was concerned that its involvement in the near abroad
state such as Belarus would risk the relations it was trying to build with the West. However, as NATO’s began to expand eastward Russia found itself in a dire situation. On the one hand, it was facing a breakup of the large geopolitical bloc it had once owned; on the other, it felt that the West was trying to isolate it from the European environment by picking up the pieces of its former empire. This led to the increasing importance of good relations with Belarus.
came to power in Belars, Belarus seemed an ideal candidate for integration
with Russia. Russian President Boris Yeltsin
said after signing, in February 1995, the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborliness and Cooperation with Belarus, that “the two nations [had] shared a common historical experience over many centuries”. That, he declared, had “created the basis for signing the treaty and other documents on deeper integration of our two countries. Among all CIS countries, Belarus has the greatest rights to such a relationship due to its geographical location, its contacts with Russia, our friendship and the progress of its reforms.” The integration process was launched on April 2, 1996 and exactly a year later, the Union of Belarus and Russia was founded. The culmination this process was the establishment of a Union State between the RF and Belarus on December 8, 1999.
took office he expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the status of the relations with Belarus and criticized the 1999 treaty, the policy he had set was to put real content into this treaty. His proposal was to continue in the unification either in a federation model which meant that Belarus will join the Russian Federation or to build a union which is similar to the European Union
. However, Belarus refused and status quo was maintained. Despite that, the strategic value of Belarus seemed to continue to rise in Russian eyes because of the international developments. These activities included the United States military activity in the post-Soviet space since the September 11 attacks in 2001, the eastern European states shift towards the west, the plans to deploy NATO's missile defense
system in Poland or the Czech Republic, and above all the rise of the colour revolutions. As a result, despite setbacks in political and economic integration, the military-integration processes between the two states continued. As Russia realized that a full integration with Belarus will be costly, it shifted its foreign policy towards a more pragmatic direction. Two major goals were distinguishable in this policy — The first was to reduce the economic burden which Belarus laid on its economy and the second was to take over the energy transit infrastructure in Belarus. These two goals have influenced most of the conflicts and Gas Wars between the two countries.
. In May 1995, the border pole was symbolically dug out by the primeministers of the two countries. After protracted disputes and setbacks, the two countries' customs duties were unified as of March 2001 but the customs controls were soon restored. In terms of trade, almost half of Belarusian export goes to Russia. Due to the structure of Belarusian industry, Belarus relies heavily on Russia both for export markets and for the supply of raw materials and components.
Before 2004, Gazprom
sold gas to Belarus for Russian domestic prices, mainly due to the political integration process between the two countries. As this process started to falter in the 2000s and late 1990s, Gazprom wanted to ensure reliable transit of Russian gas through Belarusian territory by taking control of the Belarusian transit network. Gazprom suggested to purchase the Belarusian network operator Beltransgaz
, but disagreements over the price led to the 2004 Russia–Belarus gas dispute
, in which Gazprom ceased supplies to Belarus on 1 January, 2004. A new gas contract was signed in June, 2004, and relations between the two countries improved afterwards.
The goal of the introduction of common currency had been mentioned numerous times
since the beginning of the 1990s. In ten years, the process of technical preparation finally started: Central banks of two countries signed a plan of coordinated activity for 2001-2005. In spite of that, one of the core issues remained unsettled; the Belarusian side was insisting on the coexistence
of two emission centres, while the Russian side neglected sharing of the prerogative. In fact, Russia assumed that Belarus would simply abandon its own currency and adopt the Russian rouble. However, even this option would have its negative implications for Russia. In particular, Russia would need to finance the deficit of the Belarusian budget
, burdened by social programmes and subsidised nonprofitable state enterprises.
The crossborder trade and other links are especially important and often very fruitful for border regions. Economic agents can use institutional differences while minimising transportation expenditures. For the Russian provinces located east of Belarus, it is an absolutely unchallenged direction of trade, as it provides additional incomes.
Russia accounts for some 48% of Belarus' external trade. Belarus accounts for around 6% of Russia's trade.
and South Ossetia
, but added that the position of Belarus was not for sale. Lukashenko has declared that Belarusian citizens must abide by Georgian laws when traveling to the two regions, and the Foreign Ministry has stated that all Belarusian citizens must use points of entry on the Georgian side. Lukashenko declared that instead of Russia, Belarus should "look for happiness in other parts of the planet". Commenting on the close military cooperation between the two countries, Lukashenko likened Belarus' 10 million people as a human shield for Russia against the West, a service that he said "was not free". In July 2009, the so-called Milk War
erupted, when Russia banned all dairy imports from Belarus, saying that the did not comply with new regulations. Belarus accused Russia of employing the ban for political reasons, while Russia denied that the ban was political. Russia soon lifted the ban and Belarus resumed deliveries of dairy products to Russia. However, a new dispute arose when Russia claimed that Belarus owed $231 million for gas supplies it had used since the start of the year. Belarus threatened to introduce Border and Customs control on its border with Russia, and refused to attend Collective Security Treaty Organization
talks in Moscow
. In an interview, President Lukashenko questioned the necessity of diplomatic relations with Russia, since Russia is "blockading" Belarus.
Supranational union
Supranationalism is a method of decision-making in multi-national political communities, wherein power is transferred or delegated to an authority by governments of member states. The concept of supranational union is sometimes used to describe the European Union, as a new type of political entity...
Union State.
Early 1990s
After the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
collapsed, the newly formed Russian state tried to maintain control over the post-Soviet space by creating, on December 8, 1991, a regional organization – the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
(CIS). However, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, as other republics in the CIS, started to drift away from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, which at that time was attempting to stabilize its broken economy and ties with the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. In the early 90s Russia was concerned that its involvement in the near abroad
Near abroad
In political language of Russia and some other post-Soviet states, the near abroad refers to the newly independent republics which emerged after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and sometimes other nearby countries such as Finland and Mongolia....
state such as Belarus would risk the relations it was trying to build with the West. However, as NATO’s began to expand eastward Russia found itself in a dire situation. On the one hand, it was facing a breakup of the large geopolitical bloc it had once owned; on the other, it felt that the West was trying to isolate it from the European environment by picking up the pieces of its former empire. This led to the increasing importance of good relations with Belarus.
Mid through end of the 1990s
During the mid-1990s and especially after Alexander LukashenkoAlexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line...
came to power in Belars, Belarus seemed an ideal candidate for integration
Integration
- Sociology and economy :*Social integration*Racial integration, refers to social and cultural behavior*Economic integration, refers to trade unification between different states*Educational integration of students with disabilities*Regional integration...
with Russia. Russian President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
said after signing, in February 1995, the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborliness and Cooperation with Belarus, that “the two nations [had] shared a common historical experience over many centuries”. That, he declared, had “created the basis for signing the treaty and other documents on deeper integration of our two countries. Among all CIS countries, Belarus has the greatest rights to such a relationship due to its geographical location, its contacts with Russia, our friendship and the progress of its reforms.” The integration process was launched on April 2, 1996 and exactly a year later, the Union of Belarus and Russia was founded. The culmination this process was the establishment of a Union State between the RF and Belarus on December 8, 1999.
2000s
After Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
took office he expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the status of the relations with Belarus and criticized the 1999 treaty, the policy he had set was to put real content into this treaty. His proposal was to continue in the unification either in a federation model which meant that Belarus will join the Russian Federation or to build a union which is similar to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. However, Belarus refused and status quo was maintained. Despite that, the strategic value of Belarus seemed to continue to rise in Russian eyes because of the international developments. These activities included the United States military activity in the post-Soviet space since the September 11 attacks in 2001, the eastern European states shift towards the west, the plans to deploy NATO's missile defense
Missile defense
Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed Intercontinental ballistic missiles , its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged...
system in Poland or the Czech Republic, and above all the rise of the colour revolutions. As a result, despite setbacks in political and economic integration, the military-integration processes between the two states continued. As Russia realized that a full integration with Belarus will be costly, it shifted its foreign policy towards a more pragmatic direction. Two major goals were distinguishable in this policy — The first was to reduce the economic burden which Belarus laid on its economy and the second was to take over the energy transit infrastructure in Belarus. These two goals have influenced most of the conflicts and Gas Wars between the two countries.
Economic relations
In the very beginning of the separate existence, efforts had been made to escape from imposing barriers in mutual trade. In November 1992, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed. In January 1995, a protocol on the implementation of this FTA without exemptions was signed as well as the Agreement on the Customs UnionCustoms union
A customs union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff. The participant countries set up common external trade policy, but in some cases they use different import quotas...
. In May 1995, the border pole was symbolically dug out by the primeministers of the two countries. After protracted disputes and setbacks, the two countries' customs duties were unified as of March 2001 but the customs controls were soon restored. In terms of trade, almost half of Belarusian export goes to Russia. Due to the structure of Belarusian industry, Belarus relies heavily on Russia both for export markets and for the supply of raw materials and components.
Before 2004, Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
sold gas to Belarus for Russian domestic prices, mainly due to the political integration process between the two countries. As this process started to falter in the 2000s and late 1990s, Gazprom wanted to ensure reliable transit of Russian gas through Belarusian territory by taking control of the Belarusian transit network. Gazprom suggested to purchase the Belarusian network operator Beltransgaz
Beltransgaz
Beltransgaz is a natural gas infrastructure and transportation company of Belarus. It operates the main natural gas transit pipelines through Belarus—Northern Lights and Yamal–Europe. Beltransgaz was founded in 1992 on the bases of Zapadtransgaz, a company responsible for the gas transit through...
, but disagreements over the price led to the 2004 Russia–Belarus gas dispute
2004 Russia–Belarus gas dispute
2004 Russia–Belarus gas dispute was a commercial and diplomatic dispute between Russia and Belarus that escalated in January 2004. Close relations between the two countries and willingness for political integration had made it possible for Belarus to purchase gas from Russia at heavily discounted...
, in which Gazprom ceased supplies to Belarus on 1 January, 2004. A new gas contract was signed in June, 2004, and relations between the two countries improved afterwards.
The goal of the introduction of common currency had been mentioned numerous times
since the beginning of the 1990s. In ten years, the process of technical preparation finally started: Central banks of two countries signed a plan of coordinated activity for 2001-2005. In spite of that, one of the core issues remained unsettled; the Belarusian side was insisting on the coexistence
of two emission centres, while the Russian side neglected sharing of the prerogative. In fact, Russia assumed that Belarus would simply abandon its own currency and adopt the Russian rouble. However, even this option would have its negative implications for Russia. In particular, Russia would need to finance the deficit of the Belarusian budget
Government budget
A government budget is a legal document that is often passed by the legislature, and approved by the chief executive-or president. For example, only certain types of revenue may be imposed and collected...
, burdened by social programmes and subsidised nonprofitable state enterprises.
The crossborder trade and other links are especially important and often very fruitful for border regions. Economic agents can use institutional differences while minimising transportation expenditures. For the Russian provinces located east of Belarus, it is an absolutely unchallenged direction of trade, as it provides additional incomes.
Russia accounts for some 48% of Belarus' external trade. Belarus accounts for around 6% of Russia's trade.
2009 diplomatic row
In 2009, a serious diplomatic row erupted between the two countries. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko accused Russia of offering a $500 million loan on the condition that Belarus recognize AbkhaziaAbkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
and South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
, but added that the position of Belarus was not for sale. Lukashenko has declared that Belarusian citizens must abide by Georgian laws when traveling to the two regions, and the Foreign Ministry has stated that all Belarusian citizens must use points of entry on the Georgian side. Lukashenko declared that instead of Russia, Belarus should "look for happiness in other parts of the planet". Commenting on the close military cooperation between the two countries, Lukashenko likened Belarus' 10 million people as a human shield for Russia against the West, a service that he said "was not free". In July 2009, the so-called Milk War
2009 Russian ban of Belarusian dairy products
During a visit of President Putin to the Belarus capital Minsk, Russia expressed interest in the privatisation of some of Belarus's major milk producers...
erupted, when Russia banned all dairy imports from Belarus, saying that the did not comply with new regulations. Belarus accused Russia of employing the ban for political reasons, while Russia denied that the ban was political. Russia soon lifted the ban and Belarus resumed deliveries of dairy products to Russia. However, a new dispute arose when Russia claimed that Belarus owed $231 million for gas supplies it had used since the start of the year. Belarus threatened to introduce Border and Customs control on its border with Russia, and refused to attend Collective Security Treaty Organization
Collective Security Treaty Organization
The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance which was signed on 15 May 1992. On 7 October 2002, the Presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed a charter in Tashkent founding the CSTO.Nikolai Bordyuzha was appointed...
talks in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. In an interview, President Lukashenko questioned the necessity of diplomatic relations with Russia, since Russia is "blockading" Belarus.