Lukashenko convenes meeting on international issues: the agenda remains tense and requires prioritizing foreign policy

Following the visit to Russia and talks with Vladimir Putin, mutual understanding on all issues has been reached.

This was stated by our President, summarizing the past meetings of the two leaders. Today Alexander Lukashenko has convened a meeting on international issues. The agenda remains tense. It requires the priorities of foreign policy to be harmonized.

Russia remains our closest ally of Belarus, our number one trade partner. The trade turnover is growing, the potential of joint productions, competencies in new industries is increasing.

However, there are a number of unresolved issues. All of them should be resolved by the fall on the eve of an important date for Minsk and Moscow - the 25th anniversary of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State.

Lukashenko on the talks with Putin at Valaam: Mutual understanding has been found on all issues

The President emphasized that he has built a solid foundation of relations with Russia, solved both strategic issues (and made decisions in the main areas) and tactical ones. And then the government is tasked with developing cooperation and negotiating on various aspects.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that among the issues that remained unresolved at the government level and were discussed at the meeting of the two presidents were three main ones: a new oil pricing formula, utilization fee and prepayment for oil. “We have raised, as it usually happens, the issues you and the Russian government have not resolved (and should have resolved) - on the oil formula (new pricing formula), the second issue - the utilization fee and the third issue - on prepayment for oil,” the President addressed the participants of the meeting.

“We have discussed all these issues with President Putin. Moreover, we have agreed that I will send him a written message, a letter, today or tomorrow (depending on how you prepare it) outlining the essence of these three issues,” the head of state explained.

For example, as for the prepayment for oil, which is mainly supplied to Belarus by Rosneft, it even angered the Russian President. “This can't be! What kind of prepayment? We have been working without prepayment all our lives, we can continue to work,” the Belarusian leader conveyed the reaction of his Russian colleague.

Security issues were also at the top of the agenda of the talks. “They were of a closed nature,” noted the President. - All law enforcement agencies and ministers were involved, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - on certain issues.”