In 2025, the Republic of Belarus presides over the Eurasian Economic Union. The meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council will take place later in the day on December 21.
Alexander Lukashenko will also participate in the informal meeting of the CIS leaders, scheduled for December 22.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Lukashenko, I am glad to see you. Thank you for visiting.
I watched your address.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko: Yes, I heard that you watched it.
Vladimir Putin: I watched it live. It was a very deep and, as it is customary to say, balanced speech.
Alexander Lukashenko: I did not say anything I was not supposed to.
Vladimir Putin: It is you who decide what to say. I think your address was deep and very balanced, covering many areas. You included both foreign and domestic affairs, looking at the entirety of the agenda from all angles. I listened with great interest, and I want to thank you for praising the quality of Russia-Belarus relations. I noticed your warm words about Russia and our relations. I am certain that many people in Russia also noticed that. Thank you.
I am delighted to see you today. We will be able to discuss our shared EAEU agenda with our colleagues, as well as bilateral issues – although our governments cooperate quite closely.
Before my trip to St Petersburg, I met with the Russian Prime Minister who reported to me on the work between the Russian and Belarusian governments in detail. Essentially, there are no matters that currently require our attention. However, there is always something to discuss.
Welcome.
Alexander Lukashenko: Thank you, Mr Putin.
We decided during our meeting in Bishkek that we would not get overloaded with practical issues of our bilateral relations. First, as you rightly noted, there are few of them. Our governments work well together. We have agreed that, should they not be able to resolve some issues, they can escalate them to our level. There are a couple of such matters to discuss. Otherwise we fulfill all agreements and there are practically no outstanding issues, from military-technical and defence cooperation to the economy.
Thank you for inviting me. It is a tradition to meet in St Petersburg. Frankly speaking, when I was preparing for this trip, I thought that, since you held the direct line and I addressed the Belarusian People’s Congress, the major events are done and we can relax a little – but no, it is not exactly the case. Life is keeping us on our toes. Well, it might be a good thing, anyway.
Thank you for your opinion. There was a positive response in my country to the fact that the President of Russia had watched and listened to my address at the Belarusian People’s Congress which was sincere and frank. I announced that the next day. Your statements during the direct line also received a strong response from the public.
Congratulations on this major event, especially for these days. As a president, I should say it was a bold thing to do in the current situation. It is good that you did not avoid speaking about any acute issues.
We watched it and also analysed it, to identify the common problems that need addressing. Our two countries have embarked on the track of driving integration across the post-Soviet space but we do not impose anything on anyone. The other countries are free to consider this in their domestic policy or not. Either way, we make a good example for those who are interested in working on integration. Today, we are going to agree on a few issues and continue with our common matters at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting.
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