29 May 2007
Fate of Russian-Belarusian union rests with Moscow, Lukashenka says
Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that the fate of the Belarusian-Russian Union State rested only with Moscow.
While receiving a delegation of officials representing Russia's Siberian federal district on Tuesday, Mr. Lukashenka noted that "absolutely nothing depends on Belarus" as far it concerned its further integration with Russia, official information sources said.
The Belarusian leader stressed that Minsk was ready for a close union with Russia. "We have to quickly find a way out of the current situation and get back to establishing a union that was an example of how one needs to live and work," he was quoted as saying.
Mr. Lukashenka accused Russia of failure to honor an agreement on the removal of restrictions in trade with Belarus. He stressed that Minsk was interested in market economy relations with Russia and the creation of a competitive environment in bilateral trade.
Raising the subject of military ties between the two countries, Mr. Lukashenka said that Belarus shared Russia's opposition to the United States' plans to deploy a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. "This is unacceptable and this is taking place near our border, not Russia's border. We may take adequate measures - this is our area of responsibility," he said. //BelaPAN
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