China News Service, December 20. According to TASS news agency, on the 19th local time, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, for a working visit. talks.
On December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Belarusian President Lukashenko took a group photo before their talks in Minsk, Belarus.
According to reports, this is Putin's first visit to Belarus since June 2019.
Lukashenko said, "(Putin's) interruption of his visit to Minsk has not affected our regular contact. In Russia and various international events, we meet regularly. The so-called Western partners are even very worried about our frequent meetings. .”
Putin explained the reason for the frequent meetings with the growth of trade between the two countries. He said that the trade volume between the two countries increased by 30% last year, an unprecedented breakthrough.
Putin believes that the withdrawal of foreign companies from the Russian market "opens a window of opportunity for Russian and Belarusian manufacturers."
Putin pointed out that Russia and Belarus are continuously deepening economic integration, and the two countries are also jointly opposing Western sanctions.
Lukashenko said sanctions against Russia and Belarus were weakening and that the sanctions "painfully hit their originators" like a boomerang.
Regarding the rumors of Russia's "annexation" of Belarus, Putin said that talking about such "plans" is "nonsense". This is an attempt by malicious actors to slow down the integration process to prevent competitors from emerging.
Lukashenko said that such rumors were imposed by the West on "arguments for fugitive politicians."
During the face-to-face talks, Putin and Lukashenko also discussed the issue of Russia's supply of natural gas to Belarus. Although the specific details have not been disclosed, Russian media reported that the two sides reached an agreement on "all basic parameters".
On December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) talked with Belarusian President Lukashenko during their meeting in Minsk, Belarus.
Putin said Moscow was supplying Minsk with oil and gas on "very favorable terms".
Lukashenko said that Belarus is satisfied with the price setting of natural gas supply for the next three years.
In terms of military cooperation, Putin said that he discussed the establishment of a unified defense space with Lukashenko that day.
As Belarus is about to assume the chairmanship of the CSTO, issues of cooperation within the CSTO framework were also discussed.
The two countries agreed to continue joint military exercises, the report said.
Russian experts will continue to train Belarusian pilots.
Putin stressed that the US has been conducting similar exercises with its NATO allies "for decades".
Putin said the Russian-Belarusian regional forces were on the move.
Currently on the territory of Belarus, combat coordination activities of the Russian army are being carried out.
In addition, the two countries will also cooperate in the development of new military equipment.
The talks between the leaders of Russia and Belarus have aroused tension in the West.
According to Reuters, US State Department spokesman Price said that Washington will continue to monitor closely whether Belarus will provide additional support to Putin, and if it does, or sees the possibility of such a situation happening, it will "make an appropriate response, take additional measures".