BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

UPDATED: 08:33, July 21, 2005

Putin says Russia's relations with Belarus develop successfully

Relations between Russia and Belarus develop "successfully and energetically", President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday at a meeting with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Zavidovo governmental residence in Russia's Tver region.

"Our relations with Belarus develop in all areas successfully and energetically," Putin said at the meeting, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Putin believes that the political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two countries also develop positively.

He told the Belarussian president "I am confident that your visit will give a good additional impetus to bilateral cooperation. "

Alexander Lukashenko, for his part, said "Growing economies create new and more challenging problems, and we need to look for unorthodox approaches in bilateral relations".

Lukashenko thanked Putin for support and cooperation, saying "I do appreciate and need such support, especially in terms of our good personal relationship."

He also thanked Putin for supporting the joint Belarussian- Russian satellite project. "We could not even think about this before, but now we speak about new technologies," he said, adding, "We are eyeing new areas of cooperation".

This is the sixth meeting between Putin and Lukashenko this year.

Source: Xinhua

Source:

http://english.people.com.cn/200507/21/eng20050721_197401.html