Putin, Lukashenko meet to strengthen Russian-Belarusian ties

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Minsk and held talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Monday to boost comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

"The main issues of Russian-Belarusian relations in economic, cultural, humanitarian, security and defense spheres were discussed in a businesslike and constructive manner," Putin said at a joint press conference following the meeting.

Calling the two countries "the closest allies and strategic partners", Putin said Russia and Belarus are consistently deepening economic integration, together resisting sanction pressure, and coordinating steps to minimize the impact of Western restrictions.

Bilateral trade turnover will hit a record of over 40 billion US dollars by the end of this year, while Russia remains the largest investor in the Belarusian economy with over 4 billion dollars, he noted.

"During today's talks, we also discussed in detail the issues of forming a common defense space and ensuring the security of the (Russia-Belarus) Union State as well as cooperation within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization," Putin told reporters.

At the press conference, Lukashenko said he considered the talks on the main issues of Belarusian-Russian cooperation as constructive and fruitful.

"Today, we can unequivocally state that together we are able not only to survive but also to find opportunities for the development of our economies," he said.