Lavrov shares details of his meeting with Lukashenko

MINSK, 19 January (BelTA) – Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov told reporters about the details of his meeting with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on 19 January. The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergei Aleinik, BelTA has learned.

The meeting focused on the interaction of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries, the joint meeting of the collegiums of the foreign ministries.

“The agenda revolved around additional steps to implement a coordinated response to the actions that NATO and the EU are taking against Belarus and Russia. They are also trying to get other structures, including the Council of Europe and the OSCE to join these hostile actions. We will also talk about coordination of our actions within the framework of the UN,” Sergey Lavrov informed.

The Belarusian head of state was also informed about the foreign ministries' efforts to facilitate the implementation of the 28 Union State programs, as well as plans for the future.

“They have been implemented by 70%, everything is proceeding in line with the schedule, and at the same time a new action plan is being drafted to strengthen the Union State, to implement the Union State agreement for the period from 2024 to 2026,” the minister said.

In addition, the parties discussed the developments in Ukraine as part of Russia's special military operation.

“We exchanged views on external developments related to the special military operation in Ukraine,” the Russian diplomat continued. “We have a shared vision about what goals should be achieved and how to make sure that our neighbors, be it Ukraine or someone else, will not pose a threat to Belarus and Russia,” the foreign minister said.

Sergey Lavrov noted that everything that needs to be fulfilled on the direct instructions of the two presidents is being implemented. “Our leaders regularly raise this topic when they meet in Belarus and Russia. Last year, they met ten times, and this, of course, demonstrates the special nature of relations within the Union State, the special role that our presidents play in promoting legitimate interests of our countries and the Union State as a whole in the international arena,” Sergey Lavrov summed up.