BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/08/2006

Union state with Russia not to violate sovereignty of Belarus: Lukashenko

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that the building of a union state with Russia would not violate his country's sovereignty, according to reports from Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

Lukashenko said building an integrated Russian-Belarussian Union State is always a priority for Belarus in the past and at present, said Itar-Tass News Agency.

The president added that his country would work with Russia to construct the union on the basis of equality, and to eliminate outside interference on Belarus exercise of state sovereignty.

It is necessary to introduce to people of both countries the benefits and achievements that have been made during the construction process, said Lukashenko.

Russia and Belarus signed an agreement to form the union state at the end of 1999, which went into effect in January 2001.

According to the agreement, the two countries would form a union state while maintaining their own sovereignty, in order to accomplish economic integration.

Source: Xinhua

Source:

http://english.people.com.cn/200608/09/eng20060809_291354.html

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