Russia- Belarus Union State

The draft Constitutional Act, approved at the 4th session of the commission on the elaboration of the founding document in Minsk, names the union between the two countries as the Russian-Belarussian Union State.

The commission experts also agreed to preserve the sovereignty of the two countries, establish a government and a parliament of the Union State, and leave the Supreme State Council the main governing body.

The Union Government will be set up on the basis of the Union State's Permanent Council.

The single economic space, currency and civil rights will be placed under the jurisdiction of the new state.

The scope of the jurisdiction of the union structures and the single emission centre will be further agreed upon.

The political establishment of the Union State will be based on the principles of confederation and on that of the European Union.

Under the draft Constitutional Act, the Union State can admit new countries with similar tasks.

The final version of the draft Constitutional Act, based on the agreement on creating the Union State of December 8, 1999, will be finalised according to recommendations, and submitted to the final session of the Russian-Belarussian commission on March 31.

On April 2, the draft will be considered by the Union Council of Ministers. The final decision will be made by the Supreme State Council of the Union State.