Lukashenko, Putin holding talks in Sochi

Vladimir Putin welcomed Aleksandr Lukashenko to Krasnaya Polyana, noting that personal meetings have become a rare thing recently. Therefore, according to the Russian president, they carry a special importance. According to Vladimir Putin, the agenda of the two leaders is very busy.

"Mechanisms of our interaction have been fine-tuned, work well. Our colleagues communicate with each other every day, addressing certain issues that are facing us. I am pleased to say that we remain committed to the high level of cooperation, strategic partnership and allied relations," Vladimir Putin said.

Russia is the largest trading and economic partner of Belarus and an investor in the Belarusian economy, Vladimir Putin said. "We are implementing major energy projects. It is enough to mention the Belarusian nuclear power plant project which is running successfully, as we know. We also work in our traditional markets, I mean agriculture,” Vladimir Putin said. "In Russia, products from Belarus are very popular: they are always high-quality, affordable."

The Russian president also highlighted the close humanitarian ties between the countries. "We are very close people. We share culture, language, religion and history which is based not only on the heroic recent past but also which goes back centuries. We are all united by this, and, of course, it is very good that we keep working on this front too," he said.

The Russian head of state paid special attention to regional cooperation between Belarus and Russia. This is very important, he said. "A significant volume of our relations is taking shape at the level of regional cooperation. These are economic ties and human relations," Vladimir Putin said.

The Belarusian head of state concurred with Vladimir Putin that it is now rare for heads of state to meet face to face. “I think we will continue this format of communication. Serious talks in plain clothes [an informal format] show that we are close people, that our nations and countries are very close. We can discuss any serious problems in any format,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The leaders of the two countries are to discuss a wide range of issues related to the Belarusian-Russian relations, joint response to emerging threats, including threats to military security, and also cooperation in the integration organizations.

Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin are also set to exchange opinions on the international agenda.

The Telegram channel Pul Pervogo informed that no time limit had been set for the talks. The leaders of the two countries are planning to have dinner together and go skiing.