Dialogue between presidents of Belarus, Russia seen as trustworthy

“This dialogue was very trustworthy and at the same time very substantive. Both the parties know the details of bilateral relations,” Dmitry Peskov said in the interview to the TV show Moscow. Kremlin. Putin, a fragment of which was shown in the Vesti Nedeli program on Russia 1 TV channel.

He noted that Putin and Lukashenko “have a long history of their dialogue”. Dmitry Peskov added that the meeting between the two presidents is always preceded by negotiations between the two countries' delegations. “All the details [of the meeting of Putin and Lukashenko in Moscow] had been prepared and worked out in advance for the two presidents to discuss at the highest level,” he explained.

According to Dmitry Peskov, the level of trust and respect between Russia and Belarus guarantees absolute non-interference in each other's affairs. “We have the Union State. We are close allies, and the level of mutual trust and respect guarantees absolute non-interference in each other's internal affairs, which has been repeatedly demonstrated by President Putin,” he said.

On the other hand, the Kremlin representative said, it gives the presidents an opportunity to openly exchange views on the most pressing issues. “Of course, the events of recent weeks in Belarus could not but be discussed. We also know the initiative of President Lukashenko to carry out a constitutional reform, to launch the relevant process, and this topic was also touched upon, and this initiative was also supported by President Putin,” Dmitry Peskov said.

Vladimir Putin and Aleksandr Lukashenko met in Sochi on 14 September. The two leaders discussed the key issues of bilateral relations. The talks were held mostly one-on-one and lasted for about four hours.

Dmitry Peskov added that following the negotiations in Sochi on 14 September Presidents of Russia and Belarus Vladimir Putin and Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed the heads of departments and key industry enterprises to enter into direct contact and start discussing specific joint projects.

“As for the strategic enterprises, the instruction was given to establish personal communication of heads of departments and heads of these enterprises. Such instructions were given as a result of this communication in order to stop the trend of decline in bilateral trade and economic relations,” said the Kremlin representative. He emphasized that such relations are the “basis of relations” between the two countries. “It is thanks to trade and economic cooperation that the relations become mutually beneficial for the people of the two countries, for the two nations,” he explained.

At the talks in Sochi, Vladimir Putin said that the trade between Russia and Belarus contracted by more than 21% due to the unfavorable global economic situation because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Russian leader suggested additional efforts to overcome the tendency.