Lukashenko: Belarus, Russia need to end critical dependence on other states

“Let us move forward, but the most important thing is to know our own interest. You see how the situation in the world is developing. We must defend our land, our people, and above all, our own interest. At every meeting with the leadership of Russia, I voice this position that we need to rid ourselves of any dependence on other countries, especially critical dependence. We must defend what is our own,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

In this regard, the head of state pointed out that he consistently prioritizes domestically produced Belarusian goods over imported products. “Imported goods may sometimes be of a higher quality, but they are foreign. If something goes wrong, you have to look for them very far away, and it's not that easy. But here, at home... Belarus is not a foreign country for Russia. It is our own. At any moment, we can supply any component that has failed in our machinery, we can supply the necessary amount of food, groceries, clothing, if it is needed for you,” he said.

The Belarusian president pointed to the introduction of a new status: Union State product. This mark is awarded to goods where no less than half of the materials and components come from Belarus and Russia. “We must follow this path and not create additional barriers,” the head of state emphasized.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that Belarus and Russia are moving towards a common goal and know what they want: “We will certainly achieve our goals, as this is in the interests of our peoples: the Russians and the Belarusians. I would very much ask you, Andrei Vladimirovich [Chibis], to keep this in mind. You are a young man, yet an experienced one. I am confident that you and I will achieve certain results if we are focused on intensive cooperation between your region and Belarus.”