AMUR OBLAST, 12 April (BelTA) – It is important in the current situation to deepen Belarus-Russia integration, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters after the talks with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast on 12 April, BelTA has learned.
The Russian leader called Belarus the leading trade and economic partner of Russia in the CIS; the trade between the countries increased by a third over the past year.
“I am convinced that in the current situation, when Western countries have unleashed an all-out sanctions war against Russia and Belarus, it is important to deepen our integration within the framework of the Union State. Mr Lukashenko and I share this view. We will continue to jointly oppose any attempts to slow down the development of our countries or artificially isolate them from the global economy. Russia and Belarus are closely linked economically, including within the framework of industrial cooperation, and we will hold out. I am sure that we will become even stronger as we will develop our own competencies; we are not going to self-isolate, which is important,” Vladimir Putin said.
The governments and government agencies of the two countries have mounted a major effort to substitute imports and to ensure smooth operation of financial and commodity markets, the president stated.
