Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 17 October (BelTA) – Belarus will devotedly honor commitments to Russia while keeping its own point of view. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement at the press conference held on 17 October for representatives of Russian regional mass media, who took part in a traditional media tour of Belarus, BelTA has learned.

According to the Belarusian leader, when some in Russia started saying that Belarus does not back Russia’s view on Ukraine, he stated that if Russia requests Belarus’ support, Belarus will provide it. “Belarus and Russia are allies and we will devotedly honor our commitments. It is our point of view. Yet we may have our own point of view on other matters and this point of view may be different from Russia’s. Still we are strategic partners and allies. And we cannot allow situations when someone suffers and we just look at it indifferently. It won’t happen,” stated the President.

Speaking about Belarus’ cooperation with other countries, the head of state remarked that events in Ukraine provided the reason for the West to start making steps towards Belarus. “It seems that our view on Ukraine gave an incentive and an opportunity for sensible people in the West and in America to declare cooperation with us. And they were the ones to grab the opportunity. It didn’t happen because we changed ourselves or changed our policy. Belarus and events in the world brought about the situation when it is indecent to thrash Belarus and wipe off feet on the country. Nobody would understand such moves even in the West,” stressed Alexander Lukashenko.