Russian-Belarusian trade hit record of $52 bln in 2025 - Putin

MOSCOW. June 26 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the Belarus-Russia Union State a model of mutually beneficial and equitable integration.

"Russian-Belarusian relations are truly strategic, and our Union State serves as a model of mutually beneficial and equitable integration. In practice, it helps deepen cooperation within such associations as the Eurasian Economic Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization," Putin said in a video address to participants in the plenary session of the 13th Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions.

"It's important that Russia and Belarus carefully preserve and augment fraternal traditions of friendship and mutual support and strengthen historically established cultural and spiritual ties," he said.

Ties between the regions of Russia and Belarus are among the main driving forces behind this partnership and the construction of the Union State, Putin said. "It's that very solid foundation upon which cooperation between the two countries is steadily developing in a wide range of areas, such as politics and security, social and humanitarian areas, and of course, the economy," he said.

Russian-Belarusian trade reached a record $52 billion in 2025 owing to interregional cooperation, he said.

"We expect that you will continue to develop mutual contacts as intensively and thereby help deepen the entire range of ties between the two countries in the interests of their peoples' well-being and prosperity," he said.

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