BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
25/10/2008
Medvedev, Lukashenko discuss bilateral, int'l issues
MOSCOW, October 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met on Saturday to discuss bilateral relations, including energy, and the preparation of a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State.
"The leaders could discuss in detail various issues of bilateral relations," Kremlin spokeswoman Natalia Timakova said. "The discussion touched upon in particular on the preparation of the upcoming meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State scheduled for the end of November or the beginning of December."
They also discuss energy process, she added.
In his opening remarks Medvedev reiterated that on November 15 Washington would host a financial crisis summit. "I want us to discuss with our closest neighbour our joint position on this issue," he said.
"We will also confer on a range of important issues within the framework of preparation for the meeting of the Supreme State Council as well as stronger trade and economic relations, investment projects and social issues," he said. "It would be natural to focus on the situation on financial markets."
Lukashenko said, in turn, that it was very important to give a positive signal for deeper bilateral relations.
"Moreover, it is very important for us what is going on in Russia," he said stressing that almost half of Belarus' gold and foreign exchange reserves was kept in roubles.
"We consciously stopped using dollars when we had been exerted pressure on. Your experience and your piece of advice are important for us," he said.
On Friday, the presidential secretary said Medvedev would take part in the financial crisis summit in Washington. He received an official invitation from the U.S. president.
The leaders of twenty countries as well as the head of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank President and U.N. Secretary General confirmed their participation in the summit.
Medvedev and Lukashenko also talked about the world financial crisis, including joint actions by Russia and Belarus to reduce the negative impact of the crisis on their economies, Timakova said.
One of the issues to be high on the agenda of the upcoming meeting of the Supreme State Council will be the integration of the two countries' air defence systems.
Russia is prepared to sign an agreement on the creation of a regional air defence system in Belarus before the end of the year, a government official said earlier.
"We are ready to sign the document. Work is underway, but everything depends on the Belarusian side," the official said.
He said the agreement had been drafted since the beginning of the decade. "It does not contain new provisions, but this is a relevant issue," he said.
Belarusian Defence Minister Leonid Maltsev said earlier, "I hope that the air defence systems of the two countries will develop from united into integrated."
"I think this is a promising undertaking. This is required by life itself," he said.
Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov believes that "the prospects are very good and strong and we are interested in further development."
The state secretary of the Russia-Belarus Union State, Pavel Borodin, confirmed that Russia and Belarus would sign the relevant agreement on November 2.
"In November Moscow will host the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State. High on the agenda will be stronger bilateral military and technical cooperation," he said.
"At this meeting an agreement on the creation of a common regional air defence system will be signed. I have even no doubts," he said.
Borodin stressed the need for signing the document due to NATO's eastward expansion.
"From the military point of view this is practically a shield from NATO," he said.
Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed the information on the agreement to set up a joint air defence system to be signed in early November.
Source:
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=13209282&PageNum=0
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