Lukashenko Discusses Upcoming Visit to Russia with Turchin

The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, met with Prime Minister Alexander Turchin to discuss cooperation with Moscow and the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to Russia.

Regarding the visit to Russia, Lukashenko noted that Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich participated in the negotiations and presented various issues that need to be addressed with Russia. "We must give credit to President Putin; he supported us on all matters, from financial issues to pricing of oil and beyond. We talked about regulating the price of Russian oil supplies so that our enterprises can operate without excessive profitability. A 7-8% profit margin is adequate," he remarked.

Lukashenko mentioned that Vladimir Putin had already given relevant instructions to Igor Sechin, the head of the Rosneft company. "I say this because all these issues are well known. They were supported during the negotiations. During the visit, we need to ask the Russian government to finalize these questions since there were directives for the Russian government to resolve specific issues," the President emphasized.

He added, "There are also a number of strategic issues that have been decided upon. We need to check how we are implementing them. If there are any shortcomings from our side or from the Russian side, we should note them. Some matters may be reviewed during the Supreme State Council of the Union State, if necessary. But it is better to address these at the level of the two governments," said Lukashenko. "Therefore, addressing these critical Russian issues during this visit is essential and should not be delayed. Decisions have been made, but we often have a tendency to postpone, saying we'll resolve it tomorrow. We no longer have time for delays."

Prime Minister Turchin also informed the President about a recent phone call with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin. The official visit of the Belarusian Prime Minister to Moscow is scheduled for April 7.