BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

25/10/2008

Russia, Belarus to join draw up joint position on crisis

MOSCOW REGION, October 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev opened talks with his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on Saturday by saying that the two leaders would discuss a joint position to the global financial crisis.

Lukashenko arrived in Russia earlier on Saturday.

Medvedev opened the meeting by saying that he would like Russia and Belarus to draw up a joint position on the crisis ahead of an international summit on the issue set for November 15 in Washington.

"I would like us to discuss with our close neighbors a joint position on this issue," the Russian president said. "We will also discuss a range of other issues with respect to the regular meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union [set for Moscow this fall] and also the development of trade and economic ties, investment projects and social issues."

"It would only be natural to discuss the situation unfolding on the financial markets," he said.

Lukashenko commented that his visit had been agreed upon before the before onset of the crisis. "We, as if glancing into a crystal ball, determined before the crisis that we would have to meet," he said.

He added that "it is important for us what goes on in Russia," pointing out that around half of Belarus' international reserves were in Russian rubles.

"We deliberately moved away from the dollar when they started to pressure us," he said, referring to earlier U.S. criticism of his rule.

Lukashenko also thanked Medvedev for giving up his weekend to meet him.

"We have no weekends," replied the Russian president.

Source:

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081025/117947026.html

Google
 


Partners:
Face.by Social Network
Face.by