Both Belarus and Russia realize that they need no confrontation between each other, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said in Minsk on April 8 while meeting with Boris Gromov, governor of Russia's Moscow province.
Belarus and Russia eagerly desire to solve all problems in their relationship, the presidential press office quoted Mr. Lukashenka as saying.
"There was a time when we took long and fast steps toward the establishment of the Union State, then we changed to small steps, but we're doing concrete work, creating equal conditions for our people and economic entities," he said.
"We stumbled slightly, but the most recent consultations with representatives of the Russian government and my personal contacts with President Medvedev suggest that both we and Russia have a huge potential and a desire to find our way out of the situation," Mr. Lukashenka said. "We understand and so does the Kremlin that we absolutely don't need any confrontation, problems and difficulties. We have enough of those who are creating these difficulties for us. We should aim to overcome them. But we should do this handsomely, like relatives and brothers."
The two countries should not impose any restrictions on access to each others' markets, Mr. Lukashenka said. Amid the difficult financial and economic conditions, Belarus and Russian should not only keep expanding their ties but also create new cooperation models, he said. Companies in the two countries should enjoy equal preferences and have equal access to the state purchases systems and loans, he suggested.
The development of the Belarusian-Russian Union State is nearing completion and "occasional" problems are temporary, said Mr. Gromov.
