MINSK, 31 March (BelTA) – The economic cooperation will take Belarus and Russia to where we need to be in terms of the level of allied relations, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Penza Oblast Governor Oleg Melnichenko, BelTA has learned.
"A special area of focus, which the Russian president and I constantly draw attention to, is joint ventures. Here in Belarus and in your region. In mechanical engineering, agriculture, and science," the head of state said.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, he and Vladimir Putin agreed that the parties would actively use each other's potential and developments in certain areas: "Wherever we have higher competence, Russia will take advantage of them and vice versa."
"But we need to set up joint ventures. Then It will put a stop to speculations about a single state, a single currency and so on. The economy will take us to where we need to be. The economy is the foundation of any relationship. We are moving along this path," Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.