The Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia is becoming an effective platform for discussing practical issues of the development of the Union State. This was confirmed by the expert session “Union State. Territory of Development,” held for the first time within the framework of the recent forum in Minsk and the Minsk Region. More than 70 experts from both countries, under the auspices of the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, discussed the future of the Union State, its prospects, and growth points. Representatives of state authorities, leading analytical centers, business, scientific, and educational communities participated in the dialogue.
Co-chairs of the session were Tamara Krasovskaya, member of the Standing Commission of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on Education, Science, Culture and Social Development, and Lyubov Glebova, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Federation Council on Constitutional Legislation and State Building.
The central question of the expert session: what does the Union State mean today? A set of treaties, intergovernmental commissions, and joint programs, or a space where the common future of two countries is being formed? Perhaps the main outcome of the discussion was the understanding that union integration is entering a new stage of its development. If previous decades were devoted to creating institutions, building economic ties, and coordinating state decisions, today the primary task is forming a common space of development—one that will be in demand not only by governments but also by citizens themselves.
Experts unanimously agreed: the economy remains the most important foundation of the Union State; however, it is no longer sufficient to view integration solely through trade turnover indicators or volumes of industrial cooperation. The history of recent decades convincingly shows that even the closest economic ties do not guarantee the strength of the union without a common value basis and an attractive image of the future.
That is why significant attention during the discussion was paid to the humanitarian dimension of integration. Family, traditional spiritual and moral values, historical memory, youth policy, education, and culture were considered not as secondary issues, but as strategic resources of the Union State. Essentially, this is about forming a common civilizational space in which economic projects receive solid public support.
A thought was voiced: The Union State must become more understandable to people
A special place was occupied by the topic of youth. Today it is insufficient to simply tell young people about the advantages of union integration—it is necessary to create opportunities they can feel personally. Joint educational programs, academic exchanges, youth research projects, a unified expert space, and modern information platforms are capable of making the Union State part of the life trajectory of the new generation.
Equally important was the conversation about the future of world politics. Experts noted that the world is undergoing a profound transformation: multipolarity is strengthening, logistics routes are changing, and new technological centers are emerging. Under these conditions, the Union State is increasingly viewed not just as a bilateral integration project of Belarus and Russia, but as one of the potential development models for the entire Eurasian space.
Hence comes the change in the very logic of union construction. If previously the main question was how to ensure interaction between two states, today there is more frequent discussion about what the Union State should become in ten years.
The economic block of the discussion confirmed that the potential for such development exists. Among the most promising directions named are industrial cooperation, joint mechanical engineering, electric transport production, digital technologies, scientific and technological cooperation, transport infrastructure development, and implementation of cross-border projects. Significantly, participants cited regional initiatives as the most successful examples.
This once again confirmed an important trend: today integration is increasingly born not only in capitals but also in regions. It is here that joint productions, educational projects, tourist routes, scientific contacts, and new forms of social interaction emerge. The Forum of Regions has long ceased to be exclusively a platform for exchanging experience. It is gradually becoming a laboratory for practical integration.
Another thought repeatedly sounded in almost all speeches: the Union State must become more understandable to people. While many still perceive it as a complex political construct, meanwhile, unionhood should manifest itself in concrete opportunities for everyone.
One of the significant results was the proposal to create an Expert Club of the Forum of Regions. Such a platform will allow moving beyond annual meetings to maintain constant exchange of analytical developments, accompany the implementation of joint projects, and generate new ideas for developing union integration.
The main conclusion of the discussion is that the Union State is gradually changing its philosophy. It is perceived less and less as a set of interstate agreements and more and more as a space of shared future.
Source: Rossiyskaya Gazeta
