OREANDA-NEWS. Russian and Belarusian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State approved all 28 Union Programmes and signed the relevant document, RBC reported.

"If you do not mind, I'll sign the decree. But everyone will be responsible, not just me,"- said Lukashenko.

As specified by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, union programs cover macroeconomic, industrial and agricultural policy of the states. "With regard to the energy sector, we are beginning to gradually form the unified markets of oil, gas and electricity,"- added the Russian Prime Minister.

According to the Belarusian president, there was a lot of criticism towards the authorities before the signing of the document. "We've all been criticized here, they were waiting, especially in Russia, whether we'd sign it or not,"- he said.

In addition, Lukashenko suggested creating a media holding of the Union State. "I think we need to carry out a serious reform here. We could create a Union State media holding company. And the money, even if it's just a little, could not be spread over existing newspapers, magazines, Telegram-channels and other YouTube channels, but, having gathered it into a fist, create a corresponding group, a media holding for the same money and tell what's going on,"- the president said.

The day before, the press service of the Kremlin had already announced that the meeting would approve "a package of important integration documents. They specified that they are "Basic guidelines for the implementation of the provisions of the treaty establishing the Union State 2021-2023," including 28 sectoral Union programs, as well as the updated military doctrine and the concept of migration policy of the Union State.

On 9 September, Putin and Lukashenka announced the final agreement on the parameters of economic integration between the two countries. A day later, 28 Union integration programmes were published. They aim at "convergence" and "harmonisation" in macroeconomic, monetary and industrial policies, tax legislation, and the formation of common markets for oil, gas and electricity.