MINSK, 30 June (BelTA) – The foreign ministers of Belarus and Russia, Vladimir Makei and Sergei Lavrov, met for talks in Minsk on June 30, BelTA has learned.
The talks began with a welcome ceremony for the Russian foreign minister. Vladimir Makei and Sergey Lavrov are set to discuss the bilateral agenda one-on-one and then they will be joined by other members of delegations.
Before the official talks with his Belarusian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov met with Belarusian head of state Aleksandr Lukashenko. Bilateral relations and the situation in the region were discussed during the meeting.
In particular, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said that Belarus and Russia can build such an architecture of relations others will envy. "I once voiced this idea. I think you'll support it or rather I'm sure you'll support it. We are smart enough not to incorporate each other, either Russia into Belarus or Belarus into Russia, as the West says we will do. We are two smart independent states that can build such an architecture of our relations that others will envy. We are moving towards this," the Belarusian leader stressed.
