Lukashenko: Belarus is a high-tech count

The issues of strategy in the economy are the key theme of the upcoming talks between the presidents of Belarus and Russia. This morning it became known: Vladimir Putin is expected in Minsk on December 19.

The Union programs in key sectors of the economy and "roadmaps" for the future are on the agenda. The programs have a specific and applied value and are designed to reduce the negative effects of sanctions, to facilitate the development of key sectors of the economy and the deepening of industrial cooperation, as well as the implementation of major import-substitution projects. There are 28 programs in the package, about 60% of them have been implemented.

Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus:

“Sovereignty and independence are inviolable! So any talk of our sovereignty or independence means a betrayal of the interests of the Belarusian people. Yes, we are with Russia as a sovereign and independent state. I say this calmly, knowing the position of the President of Russia. We are not even discussing this question now. We have cut it off once and agreed on how we will act by signing these 28 programmes. There is no encroachment on our sovereignty and independence in any program there. Until they plunged us into this sanctions crap, the Russians had no idea what the Belarusians were capable of doing. Well, it's not as gigantic as Russia, and not even as big as Kazakhstan or Iran. What do they have there? Probably food, potatoes to cultivate. But when sanctions were imposed and we and the Russians had to look for ways out, they saw that Belarus is a high-tech country. It produces everything we need today to live.”

December 19 is expected to have a rich program of negotiations. Heads of State will be joined by members of governments, heads of ministries and agencies. The parties will discuss in detail the entire range of the most topical issues of Belarusian-Russian integration.

Then the presidents will continue negotiations in a "one-to-one" format, and after that they will make statements and answer the questions of the journalists. In addition to the implementation of Union programs, the agenda includes a range of issues of trade and economic cooperation, joint cooperation projects with an emphasis on import substitution, as well as cooperation in the energy sector.

The leaders will also give priority attention to security issues and joint measures to respond to challenges.