< p>Belarus and Russia are preparing for a series of discussions aimed at crafting a comprehensive security agreement by the end of the year. This development became clear after a conversation between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Maxim Rizhenkov and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, reports News.bg.
Talks between the two sides are not limited to security. They pledged to deepen their cooperation between departments, planning to increase the number of consultations and put the final touches on a joint action plan set for 2025. These discussions are planned to culminate in a joint board meeting later this year, where the focus will be on security issues among other topics.
Expectation is intensifying after the Russian Foreign Ministry hinted at the adoption of an interstate treaty on mutual security guarantees, along with a concept of Union State Security. These key documents are expected to be unveiled at the December meeting of the Union State's Supreme Council of State, marking a quarter of a century of unity between the two nations.
Since its establishment in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has grown from a six-member regional organization to a formidable trans-regional bloc that now boasts 10 full members, including Belarus, which officially joined during this summit. The organization's expansion reflects its growing influence, with India, Iran and Kazakhstan among its members.
Adding to the importance of these discussions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to propose a new set of Eurasian collective security agreements. This initiative highlights the evolving security dynamics in the region and the desire for a cohesive security framework.