Mr Putin and Mr Lukashenko negotiated tete-a-tete at the Belarusian President’s residence, and discussed the agenda of the upcoming meeting of the Union State’s Supreme State Council and important aspects of bilateral economic cooperation. After the talks, the leaders of Russia and Belarus signed an agreement aimed at finalising the creation of a common economic space.
Both heads of state also discussed cooperation within the framework of specific programmes, including the delivery of additional Russian gas to Western Europe via Belarus. Mr Putin promised to help Belarusian specialists in their efforts to produce oil in Russia.