MINSK, 27 November (BelTA) - Belarus and Kyrgyzstan have excellent relations, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in Bishkek as he answered questions from mass media, including Kyrgyzstan’s journalists, BelTA has learned.
“The most important thing is that we have preserved our relations that we had in the Soviet times. Remember, we used to buy even beet seeds from you. Because we could not produce them in our country. The climate is different. We have preserved even that, not to mention the supplies of our machines and so on. In the last year or two you have become richer, considerably richer. I can see you are building a lot of things. Well done! For known reasons Russia and Belarus came under sanctions. Kyrgyzstanis have done well. They took advantage of it and did the right thing,” the president said.
"The second point, so that you understand our relations: when the Ukrainians began destroying infrastructure facilities in Russia, primarily oil refineries, you lost your fuel supply. Of course, we supply a great deal to the Russians according to our obligations. We have two powerful plants [the Belarusian oil refineries] but the Kyrgyz asked for help: ‘There is no fuel!’. We responded, came to an agreement with Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], diverted a portion from the Russians, and are now cooperating with you. We have very close, good relations,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.
The president also spoke about the life of former Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in Belarus: “Bakiyev also lives well. He's fine. We won't let him go back to you now. I told him: 'No more trips, that's enough! Live in Belarus.' He lives a normal life. I sometimes visit him when he invites me. So, we won't give him back to you."
“But he misses his country greatly. He always tells me he would like to go at least visit his father's grave. Well, it's an outrage that the Kyrgyz people cannot allow their president to come to his father's grave. I believe we will resolve this issue with the current leadership,” the head of state said.
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