Supreme State Council of the Union State
Background
The Supreme State Council of the Union State is the highest governing body of the Union State, the integration framework linking Russia and Belarus. It is responsible for taking top-level decisions on matters handled within the Union State and for coordinating joint policy directions between the two countries. Its mandate gives it a central role in overseeing interstate cooperation on issues that are part of the Union State agenda. As such, it is an important institution for managing formal Russia-Belarus integration.
The council operates as an intergovernmental body composed of the senior leadership of the two member states. According to recent reporting, Alexander Lukashenko serves as moderator and chair of the council, while Vladimir Putin is a member. Its position is distinct from the domestic government systems of Russia and Belarus, but it functions at the highest political level within the Union State framework. The body’s decisions can include directives and resolutions that guide specialized Union State institutions and joint programs.
In recent years, the council has continued to serve as the main venue for advancing Union State initiatives and formal cooperation measures. At a session in Moscow on February 26, 2026, it approved a package of documents, including a directive on mutual legal protection and a resolution establishing the Union State Committee on Standardization and Quality. The profile summary also notes that the interstate treaty on security guarantees within the Union State entered into force in 2025 under this framework. These activities indicate that the council remains active in legal, economic, and security coordination between Russia and Belarus.
Timeline
The Supreme State Council of the Union State approved a package of documents at its Moscow meeting, including directives on mutual legal protection, cross-border rail links, and the creation of a Standardisation and Quality Committee.
Meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union StateIt marked 30 years of Russian-Belarusian integration in the course of the meeting.
Meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State
Documents
Meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State
Putin and Lukashenko held the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow, signing a package of documents including directives on mutual legal protection, cross-border rail links, and a new Standardisation and Quality Committee, marking 30 years of Russian-Belarusian integration.