Putin and Lukashenko rolled on a yacht, agreed on the second trench of the Russian credit of $ 500 million and on the new Belavia flights in the Russian Federation

The presidents of Russia and Belarus Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko continued on Saturday a meeting in Sochi in an "informal setting". According to the Belarusian Telegram channel, the Poole of the First , related to the press service of Lukashenko, the heads of state agreed on the second trench of the state department and the opening of the new Belavia flights to Russian cities.

The agreement on the provision of Belarus of the Russian loan of $ 1 billion was signed on December 21, 2020. The first tranche of $ 500 million was received by the Ministry of Finance of Belarus on December 30, the receipt of the second tranche was expected in the first half of this year, BelTA recalls. Minsk expects to receive a second tranche until the end of June.

- "Two gentlemen met" gamble "

The Pool of the First also published a photograph of Lukashenko and Putin on the yacht, calling the presidents meeting in an informal setting "Working Bathing". On the eve of Putin invited Lukashenko to swim in the sea. "The sea is getting warmer and warmer. I think that this will also contribute to the achievement of the results of our meeting today," the Russian president said on Friday.

Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Saturday that the issue of additional economic assistance to Belarus was not raised at the meeting of heads of state. "President Lukashenko did not voiced any requests for additional economic assistance. The question was not posed by the question," the Kremlin quoted RIA Novosti quoted. Also, according to him, the issue of the possibility of Belavia’s flights to the Crimea was not discussed. The second tranche of a loan for Belarus of 500 million dollars will be entered in the near future.

According to Peskov, Putin raised the topic of arrest in Minsk by the Russians Sofya Sapieha, who flew by Ryanair flight with the former chief of the Nexta Telegram channel Roman Protasevich. "Of course, her fate is not indifferent to us. But also taking into account the fact that she really has - this is confirmed - she has a residence permit in Belarus," Peskov said.

The Russian president instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "to the most attentive to track the case of a Russian citizen," the press secretary said. The Belarusian side, according to him, provided Moscow with all the information about the landing of the liner in Minsk and is ready, if necessary, answer additional questions.

Peskov said that the situation with the Ryanair aircraft "requires a thoughtful and constructive proceedings, without hasty conclusions." "And the cascade of hasty emotions, which was made by European capitals, rather suggests that the approach is not based on an attempt to really clarify the circumstances, are based exclusively on emotions," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Peskov did not tell Putin about the documents that Lukashenko presented to Putin. He noted that the meeting of the presidents was "very constructive" and "saturated in content." Putin and Lukashenko discussed the further development of trade and economic interaction and the fight against pandemia. The President did not affect the topic of the transition to a single currency.

Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Russia on a working visit the night before. Negotiations with Putin in the Sochi residence of the Russian president "Bocharov Ruche" lasted more than five hours. There was no joint application for the results of the meeting. Lukashenko, before starting negotiations, said that he had brought a suitcase with documents on the situation with the Ryanair aircraft. He also complained that the Belavia airline was soaked to the whole coil "after the incident with a compulsory landing of the aircraft in Minsk.

Earlier, at least 10 European countries closed their airspace for Belavia: Great Britain, France, Poland, Sweden, Finland, the Baltic countries and the Czech Republic. Ukraine completely suspended the air traffic with Belarus. Belavia CEO Igor Cherginets said on Facebook that the governments of European countries with "special fascist perversion were closed one by one air corridors" and "mock people."

“And this is before the investigation of the incident, which may be guilty, but definitely not Belavia. This is of course the complete violation of the foundations of democracy. They punish the innocent Belavia and even without starting the investigation. Strength,” he wrote.