Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: West has failed to strangle Belarus and Russia

MOSCOW, 9 October (BelTA) - The West has failed to strangle Belarus and Russia, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on 9 October, BelTA has learned.

“As for our relations, the most important conclusion, I believe, is that the West set plans to strangle us, first of all, in the economy, finances and failed to do so. They have already recognized it themselves,” the head of state said.

“You were right by saying that after the Soviet Union collapsed we focused on preserving and developing what we used to have. This has come in handy. Today we are working together in many areas, producing goods. They are mostly in demand in the Russian Federation. Russia needs the goods we produce in various areas, from agriculture to microelectronics,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

In his words, the parties had earlier agreed to strengthen cooperation on many issues. “This is what we are doing today,” the head of state said.

The president echoed his Russian counterpart’s words that the world was changing at a rapid pace. These changes are bringing both new threats and new opportunities. “Of course, new issues emerge and they need to be addressed. No matter how often we meet, half of our talks always cover domestic affairs: the welfare of Belarusians and Russians, and security issues,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “I believe that we do not have many questions for discussion. There are only two or three issues that need to be looked into today. We need to make final decisions on these issues and move forward in our relations.”

print version

make home page

add to bookmarks