Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk and Dmitry Krutoi, Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus, chaired a meeting of the High-Level Group of the Council of Ministers of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. The event, taking place in Pskov, was attended by State Secretary of the Union State Sergei Glazyev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Belarus Boris Gryzlov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to of the Russian Federation Yury Seliverstov, and Governor of the Pskov Region Mikhail Vedernikov, along with representatives of relevant ministries and agencies of Russia and Belarus.
Prior to the meeting, Alexei Overchuk and Dmitry Krutoi laid flowers at the Eternal Flame and honoured the memory of the fallen defenders of the Fatherland with a moment of silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The group’s co-chairs addressed a wide range of issues related to trade and economic cooperation within the Union State, with a focus on the development of a common transport space, joint industrial initiatives, cultural and humanitarian collaboration, and the 2027–2029 priority areas for implementing the Union State Treaty.
In his opening remarks, Alexei Overchuk noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty establishing the Union State of Russia and Belarus: “Over the past three decades, we have built a shared socioeconomic, scientific, educational, cultural, humanitarian, informational, and defence space. We will continue to deepen coordination, strengthen technological sovereignty, and create conditions for a decent standard of living for our people,” the Deputy Prime Minister said. He emphasised that both parties are actively implementing the objectives outlined in the Guidelines for Implementing the Provisions of the Treaty Establishing the Union State in 2024–2026, while simultaneously advancing negotiations on the strategic framework for 2027–2029.
Trade and economic cooperation between the two countries continues to expand steadily. According to the Belarusian side, mutual trade in goods and services between Russia and Belarus reached $62 billion in 2025, reflecting growth of 6.2 percent.
The share of settlements in national currencies reached 99.1 percent by the end of the year, further reinforcing financial integration. Russia remains the leading foreign investor in the Belarusian economy during the first ten months of 2025.
Cooperation has also continued on the initiative to grant products the status of Union State goods, developed within the framework of a unified industrial policy: “We continue to support and develop import-substitution initiatives in backbone sectors, including microelectronics, automotive and special engineering, metallurgy, and other priority industries, Alexei Overchuk noted.
The talks additionally addressed coordinated Russian-Belarusian approaches to strengthening integration within the Eurasian Economic Union. At present, work is underway on five cooperative projects supported through the Union’s financial assistance mechanisms.
In the agricultural sector, both countries continue to implement annual forecasting mechanisms for supply and demand balances covering key agricultural and food products, while monitoring mutual deliveries on a weekly basis.
In order to organise and develop regional connectivity and facilitate cross-border mobility within the Union State, direct commuter rail services between neighbouring regions of Russia and Belarus were launched on 2 April 2026, marking the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus. New routes now operate along the Smolensk-Orsha and Smolensk-Vitebsk corridors.
Preferential travel arrangements, funded through the Union State budget, have also been introduced, particularly benefiting socially vulnerable groups.
“We intend to continue building a unified and seamless transport space. Current plans include the development of the Velikiye Luki-Polotsk and Velikiye Luki-Vitebsk routes, while a Bryansk-Gomel connection is also under consideration,” the deputy prime minister stated.
A youth policy roadmap for 2025–2027 is likewise being implemented.
Particular attention was devoted to the large-scale memorial initiative: a requiem concert Every Third. It premiered on 23 September 2025, in the Grand Hall of the State Kremlin Palace, with performances scheduled across Russian regions throughout 2026–2027.
The meeting also reviewed progress in implementing protocol decisions adopted under the Union State framework, including preparations for upcoming sessions of the Council of Ministers of the Union State and the Supreme State Council.
Following the meeting, the Standing Committee of the Union State was tasked with ensuring coordinated implementation of the agreements reached and advancing joint efforts across priority cooperation areas.
