Integration Agenda in Government Work of the Union State of Belarus and Russia

Abstract

The internal contradictions in the development of the Union State of Belarus and Russia that had accumulated by the end of 2010s called into question the possibility of realizing the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State. In 2020s, however, external threats to the sovereignty and safety of both countries aggravated to a degree when the integration agenda gained newfound relevance in such areas of interaction as economy, defense, society, etc. The article describes the problems and prospects of the integration of Russia and Belarus from September 2021 to May 2024. The author used discursive, systemic, qualitative, and formalized analyses to study the integration agenda of both governments and the integration measures they implemented. The concept of the Union State presupposes a shared economic, defense, information, and migration environment that will eventually result in a socio-political integration of citizens, thus erasing the borders between the concepts of a citizen of the Russian Federation and a citizen of the Republic of Belarus. The article concentrates on industrial programs adopted in November 2021, as well as on conceptual and strategic documents developed and approved in 2021–2024.