Union State
The Union State, also referred to as the Union State of Russia and Belarus, is an organization consisting of Russia and Belarus that was formed on 8 December 1999. The Union State was originally aimed at uniting both countries, and as such, the Union State in its planned final form would be structured similarly to confederations or political unions. However, both countries still preserve their independence currently. The Union State is based on a previous international treaty between Russia and Belarus made on 2 April 1997. Although it consists of only Russia and Belarus, other countries are allowed to join the Union State. The supranational union is ruled through the Supreme State Council and other governing bodies. The current president of the Supreme State Council of the Union is Alexander Lukashenko, who has held the position since 2000.