Putin approves signing Russia-Belarus security guarantee agreement

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a proposal to sign a security guarantee agreement with Belarus within the framework of the Union State, the Kremlin said in a statement.

“By his order, the president resolved to approve the Russian Foreign Ministry’s proposal, coordinated with the relevant federal state bodies, on signing a treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus on security guarantees within the Union State,” the statement said on Thursday.

The order also allows the Russian Foreign Ministry to make non-essential amendments to the draft treaty during future negotiations, according to Xinhua news agency.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko approved the draft treaty earlier on Thursday, according to the BelTA news agency.

The next meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State will take place in Minsk on Friday.

Putin and Lukashenko are expected to sign a range of documents focused on further advancing integration, sovereignty, security, and economic independence, according to local media.

The Treaty on the Creation of the Union State of Russia and Belarus was signed in 1999, and the upcoming meeting will mark its 25th anniversary.