The press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that the foreign ministers, Vladimir Makei and Sergei Lavrov, exchanged congratulations and “expressed the intention to continue strengthening cooperation to deepen the integration of the alliance, maintain stability and security in the region, as well as to counteract the illegitimate external pressure on our countries”.

The Kremlin confirmed on Friday this Saturday’s talks between the heads of state of Russia and Belarus in the city of Saint Petersburg.

According to the information, the talks will focus on different aspects of the development of bilateral relations and the review of the progress of cooperation in the different integration projects approved within the framework of the Russia-Belarus State of the Union.

Both leaders held their last official meeting on May 23rd in the Russian city of Sochi, on the Black Sea, when Putin expressed that the integration process between the two countries is being strengthened slowly and with the verification of each step.

“We are doing everything as we agreed: calmly, without any hurry, we check every step to make sure that it strengthens us internally and externally, strengthens our political system and creates conditions for its development, creates a fundamental, good and solid foundation for economic development,” he stated.

Lukashenko, for his part, stressed that Western sanctions against both countries prompted Minsk and Moscow to address their economies more intensively. “(The West) inadvertently pushed us to deal with our economy more intensively,” he said.

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