BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/06/2008

Lukashenko thanks Medvedev for taking spiritual step in Brest

BREST. June 22 (Interfax) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko found it symbolic that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made his first visit to Belarus to Brest. "I would want to thank the Russian head of state for taking his spiritual step in the Brest Fortress," he told journalists in Brest after talks with Medvedev.

"This [the fortress] is our common sanctuary, we have never taken it over," Lukashenko said.

"As long as these symbols remain, we will be invincible together," he said.

He said that during the visit to the fortress he followed Medvedev's reactions and saw the gratitude to Belarusians for preserving it. "Twelve years ago everything was in ruins here but we have restored everything. And Russians helped us. Many promised but Russians helped," he said.

"The Brest Fortress demonstrated that we are invincible and in those hard times [the Nazi invasion in the USSR in 1941] behind the explosions we saw our common victory," Lukashenko said.

Source:

http://www.interfax.com/3/404825/news.aspx

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