Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 13 October (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said that a new stage in his life and the life of the society was about to begin. Alexander Lukashenko made the relevant statement as he met with Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, and Karlheinz Kopf, Second President of the National Council of Austria (the lower chamber of the Austrian parliament), in Minsk on 13 October, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko said: “A new stage in my life and probably in the life of our society as a whole is about to begin. I have yet to think more about it.”

Alexander Lukashenko said the meeting with representatives of the Austrian government after the presidential election in Belarus was no accident. He pointed out that he recalls the meetings and events concerning mutual relations with Austria at the beginning of his first presidential term. “Back then it seemed to me that the West had somehow distributed its roles in the post-Soviet space and Belarus received Austria, which is a high-tech country that looks like us in some aspects,” said the Belarusian leader.

“This is why I tend to believe that at this stage when our relations with the European Union and individual countries of the European Union are seemingly warming up, our meeting today and the events taking place in Minsk to discuss economic cooperation with representatives of the Eurasian Economic Union on the one hand and with Austria representing the European Union on the other hand are no accident. They are logical,” remarked the Belarus President.