BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

03/07/2007

Putin congratulates Belarus on Independence Day

MOSCOW, July 3 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko upon the Independence Day, the presidential press service said on Tuesday.

"It is symbolical that this date is entirely linked with the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi occupation. Our people fought shoulder to shoulder to gain one victory for all. Russia will always remember heroic deeds of Belarus' sons and daughters who gathered to resist the enemy," Putin said in his congratulatory message.

"Our friendship and mutual respect that survived hardships today serve as a reliable ground for further development of neighbourly good relations. Russia and Belarus face many common tasks. It is necessary to pool efforts to resolve these tasks effectively," he said.

"We have a firm intention to promote mutually advantageous integration cooperation in every possible way that will contribute to economic and social progress of our states and the strengthening of their democratic institutions," Putin said.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11684694&PageNum=0