MOSCOW, Dec 20 (NNN-TASS) – Russian President, Vladimir Putin, visited Minsk and held talks with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, yesterday, to boost comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
“The main issues of Russian-Belarusian relations in economic, cultural, humanitarian, security and defence spheres, were discussed in a businesslike and constructive manner,” Putin said, at a joint press conference following the meeting.
Calling the two countries “the closest allies and strategic partners,” Putin said, Russia and Belarus are consistently deepening economic integration, together resisting sanction pressure, and coordinating steps to minimise the impact of Western restrictions.
Bilateral trade turnover will hit a record of over 40 billion U.S. dollars, by the end of this year, while Russia remains the largest investor in the Belarusian economy, with over four billion dollars, he noted.
“During today’s (yesterday’s) talks, we also discussed in detail the issues of forming a common defence space and ensuring the security of the (Russia-Belarus) Union State, as well as, cooperation within the framework of Collective Security Treaty Organisation,” Putin said.
At the press conference, Lukashenko said, he considered the talks on the main issues of Belarusian-Russian cooperation as constructive and fruitful.
“Today, we can unequivocally state that, together we are able, not only to survive, but also to find opportunities for the development of our economies,” he said.– NNN-TASS