RESOLUTION ISSUED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE’S DEPUTIES OF THE USSR on general concept of the new Union Treaty and procedures of its conclusion.

1. The Congress of the People’s Deputies of the USSR… declares …for the reorganization of our Multi-national State into the voluntary and equal Union of the sovereign republics - the Democratic Federative State.

The renewed Union, based on the principles of the will of people and the declarations on the state sovereignty of the republics and autonomous entities, intends to secure … equality of the people regardless the number of population, their rights to self-determination and free democratic development, territorial integrity of the subjects of Federation.

2. To consider expedient establishment of the Preparatory Committee in order to carry out the spadework on the draft of the new Union Treaty. The Committee shall comprise the high-level authorities from the republics and autonomous entities, as well as the President of the USSR, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the USSR and the Chairman of the Council of Nationalities of the USSR…

(…)

The Chairman of the Supreme Council of the USSR A. Loukyanov

25 December 1990

(Bulletin of the Congress of the People’s Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Council of the USSR, M., 1991, # 1. p. 7-8)