BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

24/04/2008

Russia remains strategic partner of Belarus

MOSCOW, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that Russia remains a strategic partner to Belarus, according to reports reaching here.

"Russia remains our strategic partner. The development of the Union State is an objective process, which meets the interests and follows the wishes of both peoples," he told Eduard Rossel, governor of Russia's Sverdlovsk region, in Minsk.

Lukashenko also voiced hope for the solution of bilateral problems. "No matter how hard it may be, we will try to resolve problems in the Belarus-Russia Union with the new Russian administration as much as possible," he said.

The two former Soviet allies signed a treaty to form the Union State in 1999 to promote their political, economic and cultural cooperation. Bilateral trade grew by 30 percent to more than 26 billion U.S. dollars last year.

However, the development of bilateral ties between the two countries was hobbled after Russia decided to stop subsidizing natural gas supplies to Belarus. What's more, the introduction of the Russian currency ruble into Belarus was suspended indefinitely after failing to meet several deadlines since 2004.

Source:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/24/content_8044572.htm

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