Kremlin creates committee to oversee integration of Russia and Belarus
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree to establish a working group on the integration of Russia and Belarus, RIA Novosti reports.
Medvedev also announced that Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin would chair the group.
“Oreshkin will be the head of the group. It will include representatives of all the agencies, not only the government one but also from the State Duma, the Federation Council, and the Chamber of Accounts,” said Medvedev on Friday, December 28th.
On Tuesday, December 25th, negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko took place in Moscow. The negotiations lasted several hours, after which the parties allegedly announced agreements on energy prices and the upcoming changes in the Russian tax legislation. The sides also agreed to meet on December 29th in Moscow.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko declared at a press conference in Minsk a few days ago that “Belarus will never become part of the Russian Federation.” Lukashenko considers it unnecessary to deploy a Russian military base in Belarus.