What should we expect from Lukashenka-Putin summit?
On December 13-14, Putin and Lukashenka are scheduled to discuss the union’s budget for 2008, trade and economic cooperation, coordination of foreign policy, cultural policy issues, the posts of the chairman and co-chairman of the union state’s customs committee and the change of members on the Belarusian-Russian committee which is developing the Constitutional Act draft.
However, political analyst Yury Shautsou believes that these issues do not require an immediate attention of the presidents. It means that it is very likely that Lukashenka and Putin will talk about the Constitutional Act and will possibly have it signed. It would be logical now, he says.
“The Constitutional Act is the main issue. All the rest does not require a meeting between the presidents. I think that this issue will be discussed outside of the official protocol. Putin won skillfully the parliamentary elections in Russia, and he is now entering into the presidential campaign. Why would he need to spend two days in Minsk if it were not something important?”
Pavel Borodin, state secretary of the ‘union state’, has three options for the unification of Russia and Belarus. Under the first option, Russian president becomes the president of the union state, while the Belarusian leader becomes vice president. Under the second option, the single president should be elected by the two peoples through a referendum. The third scenario envisages the Supreme State Council as the central governing body of the union state.
Piotr Martsev, the editor-in-chief of the Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, thinks that there could be another very banal reason for Putin to come to Belarus:
“Putin as a man who will stop being the president several months later is formally closing down this project for himself with this visit. Why should Putin who is stepping down in three months sign the Constitutional Act? Most likely, it will be done by a new president”.
However, Ivan Makushok, the spokesman for the State Council of the Belarus-Russia Union State, maintains that the Russian president could still make important decisions. We should expect sensations from this visit.
Makushok: “They will be handling important issues. At the same time, they could touch on a wide range of issues. They could also discuss hunting in the next year. This is up to the presidents themselves. They will have bilateral meetings. We hope that they will discuss the issues associated with the dates of passing the Constitutional Act among other things. Knowing our president, any sensations and surprises are possible. I hope they will be directed at the fastest unification of Belarus and Russia”.
It is worth noting that this is Putin’s last visit as the Russian president. So, it is very likely that significant decisions will be made. Besides, Lukashenka could possibly award some medal as a farewell gift to Mr Putin.
