Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 6 September (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia have done a lot in order not to part ways, not to severe relations and to remain close friends in economy, in politics and in public life, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with the TASS news agency for the TV project dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the CIS and the TV program Formula of Power, BelTA has learned.

“This path is difficult, but we are going along it with dignity, even though suffering bumps and bruises,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

The head of state stressed that the two countries have done a lot, more than any other post-Soviet republics, in terms of the unity so that people do not feel distraught in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union. “We have taken many decisions to ensure equal rights for Belarusians and Russians. We have moved away from the abyss, which could have opened up between Belarus and Russia somewhere near Smolensk. But it would be wrong if we spoke only about the positive side. We have a lot of problems too,” the Belarusian leader said.

“Probably we have misunderstood Russia sometimes. Russia would cause us problems over gas, oil, would impose bans on our products. Probably we have not acted appropriately, although we tried not to anger or offend ‘our elder brother’,” the President said.

Russian News Agency TASS is one of the largest news agencies in the world. TASS has more 5,000 corporate subscribers in and outside Russia, including more than 1,000 mass media outlets, 200 diplomatic missions, more than 250 financial institutions and more than 2,000 industrial enterprises, scientific and educational institutions.

Formula of Power is a joint project of the TASS news agency and Russian television. The program was launched in 2000: from 2000 to 2005 the project was aired on Channel 1, since 2005 on Rossiya TV channel. The project has had more than 350 episodes with heads of states and government from more than 170 countries.

Interviews with the Formula of Power program are, as a rule, reprinted in the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta and also published in the newsfeed and website of the TASS news agency.