MOSCOW, 20 September – Belarus and Russia cooperate across the board and jointly counteract challenges and threes, Russian president Vladimir Putin said when accepting the credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Federation Dmitry Krutoi in a ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow on 20 September, BelTA has learned.
"Fraternal Belarus is our closest ally and strategic partner," Vladimir Putin said. He recalled that this year the states celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
“The countries are advancing multidisciplinary integration cooperation, implementing the fundamental Union State Treaty and 28 specific programs adopted in the furtherance of the treaty," Vladimir Putin stated. “In the works are large-scale trade and investment projects aimed to further improve the welfare of Russian and Belarusian citizens. We jointly confront the challenges and threats to the security of our states, and actively cooperate within the framework of the CSTO, the EAEU and the CIS."
The Russian leader also noted that at the recent summit in Samarkand, it was decided to launch the procedure to admit the Republic of Belarus as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. "We will promote the full integration of Belarus into this authoritative regional organization," the Russian president assured.
