Official Website of the Republic of Belarus
News
Belarus Events Calendar
Belarus’ Top Tourist Sites
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belarus
Belarusian sanatoria and health resorts
Souvenirs from Belarus
| Home | News | News

News & Events in Belarus

14 Dec 2018

Lukashenko: Belarus’ stance on integration is steadfast

Lukashenko: Belarus’ stance on integration is steadfast

MINSK, 14 December (BelTA) - Belarus is a strong advocate of integration, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the meeting with representatives of the Russian media on 14 December, BelTA has learned.

The head of state confirmed that Russia remains a strategic partner and ally of Belarus. “Belarus’ stance is steadfast when it comes to integration. Together with other countries we initiated the formation of the unions which exist in the post-Soviet space,” the Belarusian leader said.

Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that the Belarusian side is ready to continue developing integration processes given that absolutely all agreements are fulfilled.

“As far as you can see, we do not ask too much. We must fulfill our agreements. This is an absolutely natural and justified expectation from partnership, and this partnership, as initially expected, should rely on equal conditions and mutual trust. That’s all. If we do not fulfill our agreements, there will be no union,” the president said.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, equal conditions do not mean that everything should be divided in equal parts. “We want to get what we can get, what we can earn with our hands and brains. If there are no obstacles, we will be able to create a lot,” the head of state said.

The president emphasized that, as history shows, all unions with unequal conditions were short-lived.

“They often say that Russia is a bigger country, and the conditions will be like that. This is a bad approach to building a union,” the Belarusian leader added.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that after the disintegration of the Soviet Union a lot was said about the formation of the Baltic-Black Sea region which could become a kind of barrier between the EU and Russia. “I managed to break that barrier back then,” he said. “That idea was not fulfilled. And I became a persona non grata in the West, even ‘the last dictator in Europe’. It did not happen because I am a dictator, It happened because we started to pursue the policy which ruined the plan.”

“When certain people in Russia try to diminish Belarus they should think that they restore that Baltic-Black Sea region,” he said. The head of state added that this is especially relevant in view of the current situation in the region.

Speaking about the external perimeter, the president remarked that Belarus and Russia have similar approached to the global geopolitics as true allies. The countries support each other in international organizations. Besides, Belarus and Russia implement a program of concerted foreign policy efforts, coordinate approaches to regional and pan-European security issues, including in counteracting new challenges and threats.

Archive
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
Great Patriotic War monuments in Belarus