Russia-Belarus Union State budget to grow almost 40% in 2024

MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax) - The Russia-Belarus Parliamentary Assembly approved the Union State budget in the amount of 6,970.1 million Russian rubles on Monday.

"The budget will grow 38%," State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at the meeting. This proves that "the Union State format is effective and is becoming substantive," he added.

Volodin said they should give credit to the Russian and Belarusian presidents for "doing everything to develop relations and enable new forms of cooperation." "Meanwhile, we should do everything we can for the legislative support of the decisions made at the level of the heads of state," he said.

The number of Parliamentary Assembly commissions will therefore grow, and they will focus on specific areas, such as economic policy, transport, and energy, Volodin said.

For his part, State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev said at the meeting that the 2024 Union Budget had been enlarged for the first time ever.

Budget revenue comes from annual contributions from the Russian and Belarusian budgets, the document says. The contributions will reach 6,161.95 million Russian rubles next year, including 4,005.27 million Russian rubles that will be contributed by Russia and 2,156.68 million Russian rubles that will be contributed by Belarus.

The Union State budget will also include revenue from the Union State Television and Radio Broadcaster and the balances of the Union State budgets of previous years in the amount of 808.15 million Russian rubles.

Union Budget expenses in 2024 are planned to amount to 5,722.2 million Russian rubles. The funds will be allocated for five programs and 37 projects of the Union State.

In particular, the 2024 Union State budget will fund upgrading elements of military infrastructure to be used jointly by the Belarusian-Russian regional group of forces as well as enhancing border security of the Union State.

Thirty-seven projects of the Union State include the Great Victory, One for All ceremony dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Belarus' liberation from the Nazi invaders and a track and field competition between Union State teams.

The meeting on Monday also approved adjustments to the 2023 Union State budget. For instance, budget revenue grew by 4.1 million Russian rubles to 5,970.2 million Russian rubles. These are earnings of the Union State Television and Radio Broadcaster from entrepreneurial and other commercial activity.

Budget expenses increased by 346.8 million Russian rubles to 5,413.3 million Russian rubles. This will fund new Union State programs, including upgrading elements of military infrastructure to be jointly used by the Belarusian-Russian regional group of forces, enhancing border security of the Union State, maintaining the Union State Television and Radio Broadcaster, and providing humanitarian aid to students and educational establishments in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.