Vladimir Putin
President Vladimir Putin submitted for ratification to the state Duma the Protocol to the agreement between Russia and Belarus on joint protection of external border of Union state in air space and creation of Uniform regional system of antiaircraft defence of two countries. The document is available in the electronic database of the lower house of Parliament on Thursday, August 10.
The Protocol amends the agreement of 3 February 2009. In particular, adjusted some wording. For example, the “command post of the commander-in-chief Military-air forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” changed to “the control Center of the aerospace defence forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” and a “threat period” with “a period of direct threat of aggression”.
“The provisions of the Protocol clarifies the conceptual apparatus of this agreement, as well as changes regarding the organizational structure of the armed forces and order use of weapons and military equipment on duty on air defense in the joint execution of tasks of combat duty,” — said in the document.
Moscow and Minsk signed the agreement, as now amended, in the Kremlin following the meeting of the Supreme state Council of the Union state in the presence of the presidents of the two countries.
Initially it was assumed that this document will be signed in the autumn of 2008, however, for several reasons, the ceremony of its signing were postponed.
The Treaty establishing the Union state was signed by Russia and Belarus in 1997. It is a supranational organization with a gradually created common political, economic, military and customs space. The state Council is the Supreme body.