Lukashenko has no questions for Putin

In relations between Belarus and Russia today there are no issues that need to be discussed at the highest level. Alexander Lukashenko said this on Friday, commenting on media reports about upcoming negotiations with Vladimir Putin. Rumors about a meeting between Lukashenko and Putin planned for August 22 appeared against the backdrop of heated disputes that broke out at the end of July over the Belarusian debt for Russian gas supplies.

For the first time in his 13 years in power, the Belarusian president said that he saw no point in meeting with his Russian counterpart. “So far there are no issues that we could discuss at the highest level,” says Alexander Lukashenko. “The President of Russia and I meet if two or three major issues have accumulated or there is an emergency issue. We officially meet and make decisions, as is customary in relations between two states,” he said.

However, Mr. Lukashenko made it clear that organizing a meeting with the Russian leader, if necessary, would not be difficult: “If we need to meet with Vladimir Putin, it’s a matter of one day - we called, agreed, met and discussed the problems.”

Alexander Lukashenko also emphasized that the topic of Russian-Belarusian integration remains relevant. He promised that the next meeting of the Supreme State Council of the union state would be held in the fall, at which the parties would discuss “all issues that exist not only between presidents, but also at the government level.”

Olga TOMASHEVSKAYA, Minsk