Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 13 June (BelTA) – The Union State of Belarus and Russia helps promote integration not only in the Single Economic Space, but also in the CIS, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with Speaker of the State Duma of Russia, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State Sergei Naryshkin on 13 June, BelTA has learnt.

The President is convinced that the Union State project will always be relevant. “We openly say that the establishment of the Union State contributed to faster materialization of other integration projects, in particular the projects within the framework of the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space. Unfortunately, integration within these projects is not as tight as integration between Belarus and Russia within the framework of the Union State. But I think this is just a matter of the future. The experience we have gained all the way will be useful not only for the SES and the future Eurasian Union, but also for the CIS,” the head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko sees sincere interest and progress in cooperation and integration at all the levels of the CIS. “Everybody could finally see that we are not so welcome abroad and that we should look for support here,” he said.

The head of state noted that “new challenges constantly emerge, including some that we probably do not deserve: from economy to defense”.

“Recently, at all the levels, including at the level of the parliaments, we have been taking measures to stand up to these challenges. We proceed from the best interests and do not harm anyone; we are trying to spur economic growth”. He emphasized that Belarus, to say nothing of Russia, does not need other countries’ territories. The head of state noted that Belarus is not going to yield its own territory either. “Everyone should clearly understand that this will be the basis of our policy,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

The President emphasized that there are some states that pursue their national policies taking into consideration the policies of the neighboring countries. “This pertains mostly to Central Asia and Ukraine,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

“Nevertheless, I am convinced that the future belongs to our post-Soviet space; the integration here will be most powerful and comprehensive. We need to be more determined and decisive, including in the parliamentary dimension,” the President said.