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MINSK, 22 November (BelTA) – A positive opinion about the current level of Belarusian-Russian cooperation in various spheres was expressed during the meeting of representatives of the Belarusian and Russian ministries of foreign affairs in Minsk on 22 November, the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BelTA.

According to the source, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on 21 November. In a traditionally trustful manner the two diplomats exchanged opinions about topical aspects of Belarusian-Russian interaction, including in international organizations, and about integration problems. Vladimir Makei and Sergei Lavrov also discussed the organization of joint events relating to the 25^th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and Russia. The anniversary will be celebrated in 2017.

During the meeting of representatives of the Belarusian and Russian ministries of foreign affairs in Minsk on 22 November the sides exchanged opinions and coordinated their approaches to implementing a number of avenues of the foreign policy coordinated action program for 2016-2017. The sides confirmed their mutual commitment to enabling tighter interaction with a view to bolstering the positions of the two countries in the international scene and for the sake of advancing integration processes in the Union State of Belarus and Russia and in other formats.

An extensive number of matters were discussed, including the Belarus-Russia dialogue in the UN system, interaction with the European Union and the Council of Europe, and ways to couple integration processes. Representatives of the Belarusian and Russian ministries of foreign affairs also discussed how they can work together to counteract attempts to falsify history and revise results of World War Two.

A number of aspects of Belarusian-Russian cooperation in international organizations were also discussed. In particular, concrete steps to take Belarus-Russia cooperation in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the next level were sketched out as well as actions concerning Chernobyl problems, sustainable development, and human rights.

Representatives of the Belarusian and Russian ministries of foreign affairs agreed on joint guidelines with a view to further advancing Eurasian integration. Areas of joint work were discussed with a view to developing European and Eurasian integration processes, coupling the Eurasian Economic Union with China’s Silk Road Economic Belt project, and establishing constructive contacts between the Eurasian Economic Union and ASEAN. The sides coordinated approaches to improving Belarus-Russia interaction within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, including considering the fact that Belarus had been granted the observer status in this organization.

The sides agreed to step up joint efforts to counteract attempts meant to falsify history and revise results of World War Two, including in international organizations.

For the sake of continuing the implementation of the foreign policy coordinated action program for 2016-2017 the heads of the two government agencies signed the plan for consultations between the Belarusian and Russian ministries of foreign affairs in 2017.