BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Relations with Russia remain a priority for Belarus - Belarusian president

MINSK. Oct 12 (Interfax) - Building good relations with Russia was, is and will continue to be the priority of Belarus' foreign policy, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

"Russia is an absolute priority in our relations," Lukashenko told a news conference with Russian journalists in Minsk on Friday. "Even though Russia sometimes tries to pretend that it does not care about Belarus, it will not work."

Belarus, as a country located in the center of Europe, has always strived "to build the best relations with its neighbors: the Baltic states, Ukraine, and Poland," he said.

"As to the European Union, relations must be normal. In this respect, we should pursue a multi-vector policy. But Russia is an absolute priority in our policy," the Belarusian president said.

Minsk has always tried to establish normal relations with Western countries, he said. "Isn't Russia building normal relations with the West and the United States? Why is Russia so concerned about our attempts to build normal relations with the West?" Lukashenko said.

Source:

http://www.interfax.com/5/323177/news.aspx