Russia-Belarus Relationship

Russian and Belarusian presidents discuss aggravation of Ukraine crisis

MOSCOW, January 23 /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the sharp aggravation of the Ukraine crisis with Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko by telephone, the Kremlin press service reported adding that the conversation took place at the Belarusian side’s request.

“The leaders exchanged views on the sharp aggravation of the Ukraine crisis. They also discussed Russian-Belarusian integration cooperation, including the schedule of forthcoming contacts at various levels,” the Kremlin press service went on to say.

Earlier on Friday, Putin discussed the Ukraine crisis with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council. The Russian president expressed the hope that Kiev would be committed to the peaceful settlement of the situation in the Donbas region.

Artillery, rocket systems and aviation are being indiscriminately used against densely populated areas in Donbas, Putin said.

“All this is taking place to the accompaniment of propaganda slogans about the need to seek peace and search for responsible parties,” Putin said adding that those who were issuing criminal orders to fire indiscriminately were to blame for the current situation.

“Those who are doing that should know that there is no other way of resolving such conflicts than by political means though peaceful negotiations,” the Russian president said.

Putin hopes that the Kiev authorities will demonstrate common sense.

“We can often hear /from various parties/, including the authorities in Kiev, that their country is committed to exactly this method of solving problems. But in reality everything looks absolutely different,” Putin said.

“I hope that common sense will eventually prevail,” the Russian leader stressed.

Russia-Belarus anti-crisis plan envisages removing restrictions on markets — Belarusian PM

Minsk keeps foreign policy vector of alliance with Moscow unchanged — foreign minister

Belarus regards Moscow the closest ally and partner and will always adhere to concerted approaches, Belarusian Foreign Minister said during a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow

MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. Minsk keeps unchanged the foreign policy vector of alliance with Moscow, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said at the beginning of negotiations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

"There have been media rumors of some changes in foreign policy vectors," he said. "As before, we regard Moscow the closest ally and partner and will always adhere to our concerted approaches."

"The situation in the world is complicated, the one in our region, too," Makei said. "I am certain that these days our cooperation in a constructive fashion in the international scene and within our integration structure — the Union State of Russia and Belarus, and other integration structures is greater demand than ever before."

"A number of problems require our concerted response," he added.

Belarus, Russia are considering wider cooperation in space industry

The visit’s agenda includes the development of clusters of satellites for the remote sensing of the Earth and collection of information from satellites

MINSK, June 23. /TASS/. Belarus and Russia are considering the opportunities for wider cooperation in the space industry, the chief of Russia’s Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, Igor Komarov, told the media. He has arrived in the Belarussian capital on a visit at the invitation of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The purpose of the visit is to expand cooperation with the Belarussian science academy and industrial enterprises," he said.

According to the Roscosmos chief, Belarus pays great attention to developing its space industry, in particular, such enterprises as Integral and Peleng and their competitiveness. "Cooperation with these enterprises is of interest to us. We see good prospects," Komarov said.

The visit’s agenda includes the development of clusters of satellites for the remote sensing of the Earth and collection of information from satellites.

The chairman of the Belarussian science academy’s presidium, Vladimir Gusakov, has said that work was well underway to create a new Belarussian satellite that would have extensive uses in the economy and yield major commercial effects.

"In a year or two the life cycle of the current Belarussian satellite will expire, so time is ripe to giving thought to having another one, more advanced and having a higher resolution (less than one meter)," Gusakov said.

"Today we will be considering the possibility of creating such a satellite. We will provide our opportunities, and Russia contribute its own potential and resources."

The talks will end with the signing of a joint protocol, Gusakov said.

Putin, Lukashenko to discuss cooperation, take part in Forum of Regions

In general, Russia is the main trade partner of Belarus. It accounts for almost half of Belarus’ trade exchanges. The bilateral trade volume reached $16 billion in the first half of the year

SOCHI, September 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks on Friday with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. In addition, the two leaders will take part in the second Forum of Regions of Russia and Belarus, which opened in Russia’s Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Thursday, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"A plenary session of the forum will be held in Sochi before which Presidents Putin and Lukashenko will hold a separate bilateral meeting," he said. "After the forum Putin and Lukashenko will visit the Russian-Belarusian Industrial Exhibition," Peskov said.

Answering journalists’ questions, Peskov said that Putin had no plans to meet Pskov region governor Andrei Turchak who takes part in the forum.

Andrei Turchak has come into spotlight in connection with the 2010 attack on journalist Oleg Kashin. Kashin and Turchak had had a quarrel in the Internet several months before the attack. The journalist insulted the governor and refused to apologize. Kashin wrote in his blog early in September that two people had been detained in connection with the attack. They are security guards at the Leninents holdings (St. Petersburg) owned by Turchak’s family. One of them, Alexander Gorbunov, had organized the attack according to Kashin. But Gorbunov was under arrest on charges of illegal storage of weapons at the time of the attack. Investigators consider him to be a witness rather than a perpetrator.

"No, no separate meetings have been planned. At least, we do not have them on schedule," Peskov said adding that the day’s agenda would be busy.

Cooperation issues on agenda

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov previously said, "The leaders of Russia and Belarus are planned to discuss at the meeting current issues of bilateral cooperation, the implementation of decisions taken at the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State on March 3, 2015, prospects for deepening integrational cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union." "This contact will be important from the viewpoint of the presidential election in Belarus to be held on October 11," Ushakov said.

Speaking of the forum, the presidential aide said that its theme is "The Union State’s Industrial Policy: Common Approaches and Regional Aspects." During the event it is planned to sign several documents on cooperation between the regions of Russia and Belarus, he said. The heads of the Russian Federation Council and State Duma, the Republic Council and House of Representatives of Belarus, the Union State Standing Committee, heads of key ministries and agencies, regional executive and legislative heads from both countries, and representatives from big business and public and scientific organisations will attend the forum. The last forum took place in June 2014 in Minsk. Its theme was "Industrial policy of the Union State: common approaches and regional dimensions."

Russia - major trade partner of Belarus

Currently, more than 80 subjects of the Russian Federation have trade and economic relations with Belarus. Sis representative offices of Russian regions are accredited in Minsk. Offices of the Belarusian embassy work in 11 regions of Russia.

In general, Russia is the main trade partner of Belarus. It accounts for almost half of Belarus’ trade exchanges. The bilateral trade volume reached $16 billion in the first half of the year.

Energy cooperation, natural gas, in particular, is the focus of strategic cooperation between Russia and Belarus. Russia’s natural gas monopoly Gazprom is the owner of Belarus’ 575-kilometre section of the Yamal - Europe gas pipeline. Under the bilateral agreement, Russia is to supply to Belarus 21 billion cubic metres of gas this year. Until 2020, Gazprom plans to invest $2 - 2.5 billion in the development of the gas transportation system of Belarus and $1.1 billion in boosting the capacity of the country’s underground gas storage facilities. In addition, the sides are developing cooperation in the nuclear industry. For example, Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom is building the first Belarusian nuclear power plant.

Cooperation in Space

The two countries have prospective joint plans in such high-technology spheres as space. They continue the work on the development of the two countries’ single navigation space based on the Russian GLONASS global navigation satellite system. The launch in July 2012 of the BelKA Belarusian Earth remote sensing satellite with Russian assistance was an important element of this work.

Some 40 economic, defence, social programmes and projects are implemented within the framework of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. They are funded comes from the Union budget. Its volume in 2015 reached 4.87 billion roubles.

The initiative to create the Forum of Regions of Russia and Belarus was put forward by speaker of the Russian Federation Council upper house of parliament Valentina Matviyenko. Its first meeting was held in Minsk on June 5-6, 2014. It was attended by the leaders of 19 Russian regions, the head of Minsk and leaders of six Belarusian regions.

As for talks between Putin and Lukashenko, this year alone the two leaders have met 6 times and have repeatedly communicated on the phone.

Belarus has no plans to turn back on Russia — president

The Belarusian leader said all the talks on country’s shift should be stopped

SOCHI, September 18. /TASS/. Belarus is not planning any shift from Russia and will continue being together with Moscow, President Alexander Lukashenko told a forum of regions of the two countries.

"We are not going to conflict with anyone," Lukashenko said, adding that both Minsk and Moscow are building good relations. "We should not be criticized for shifting to anywhere. We have nowhere to shift. We have been always together and we will be together for a rather long time."

The Belarusian leader said all the talks on Minsk’s shift should be stopped. "I have told Vladimir [Putin] about this that neither I personally nor our countries need this," he stressed.

Forming single industrial production policy - priority for Russia and Belarus

The president noted that formation of a single industrial production policy is a priority for cooperation between Russia and Belarus.

"Forming a single industrial policy, mentioned by the Russian President ... is the most important direction of our cooperation," the President said.

"Coordination in the industrial production sector matters the most… The biggest problems lie here," he added.

World starts realizing sanctions, isolation have no prospects

Lukashenko said the world starts understanding that sanctions and isolation fail to solve global problems while cooperation may become a basis for a high-efficient economy.

"Unfortunately, in the new time, the mankind has not got rid of cataclysms, crises and wars," Lukashenko told the forum of regions.

A redistribution of the spheres of influence is currently underway "in which we have been entangled," the president said, adding that "they are trying to impose their own interests on us."

Meanwhile, "the world slowly starts understanding that sanctions and moreover isolation of certain countries and whipping up various threats have no prospects," he stressed.

The Belarusian leader also expressed confidence that "only joint efforts of our people and regions, and enterprises will allow us to build a high-efficient economy."