Belarus’ integration with Russia: assessing the challenges for the country

27 January 15:00
Via Zoom

Moderator: Elena Korosteleva

Speakers: 

  1. Franak Viačorka, Senior Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Head of the Foreign Policy Department. 
  2. Vladislav Inozemtsev, Founder, Centre for Post-Industrial Studies. Professor Moscow State University and National Research University – Higher School of Economics.
  3. Arkady Moshes, Program Director for the EU Eastern Neighborhood and Russia research program, Finish Institute of International Affairs.  
  4. Ruth Deyermond, Senior Lecturer, Department of War Studies, King's College London.  

On the state-run "Day of National Unity" September 17,  Vladimir Putin and Aliaksandar Lukashenka held the Supreme State Council of the Union State via video conference. A decree of the Union State was signed, which approved 28 out of 31 integration programmes, including the Concept of Migration Policy. The documents are aimed at developing and deepening integration between the two states in the economy, politics, and military spheres. The Military Doctrine too has received an important revision: according to the representatives of the official Minsk and Moscow, it "is (now) conditioned by changes in the military-political situation in the region, the emergence of new security challenges and threats for Russia and Belarus." Meanwhile, Mr Lukashenka acknowledged Crimea as part of Russia de facto, and declared his support in the case of Ukrainian aggression. 

 

How should we understand these developments? What are the meaning and security consequences of further integration between Belarus and Russia? Can signing the Military Doctrine be interpreted as a potential threat for regional security? These and other questions will be discussed at the expert webinar jointly convened by the Research Centre of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office (OST Research Centre) and the University of Oxford’s Belarus Observatory (OBO), with the support of the GCRF COMPASS project. 

obo poster jan

 

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