Meeting with Chairperson of Federation Council of Russia’s Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Matviyenko on 5 March.

The head of state bestowed the Order of Francysk Skaryna upon Valentina Matviyenko during their meeting in the Palace of Independence. She was awarded for a considerable personal contribution to the promotion of friendly relations and cooperation between Belarus and Russia.

“You know you are our closest and dearest person,” the Belarusian leader stressed. “I would like to use the opportunity of your visit and present the well-deserved award. We wanted to make it as solemn and as family-like as possible. I don’t present awards to anyone in this office except for people, who are close to me.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I am happy you’ve come. I think [Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus] Natalya Kochanova has already told you that. We’ve been looking forward to your visit for a long time, getting ready to welcome you the best way we can.”

In turn, Valentina Matviyenko thanked Aleksandr Lukashenko for the award. She noted it was very dear to her. “I always come and leave Belarus with particularly warm feelings after getting charged with your warmth and hospitality. I haven’t been here for a long time, I missed it already.”

The head of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament also positively evaluated the itinerary of the visit prepared by the Belarusian side. In particular, Valentina Matviyenko had visited the All Saints Memorial-Church in Minsk where a ceremony of handing over a capsule with soil collected from graves of Soviet soldiers near the Russian city of Rzhev took place.

She noted: “It was a very touching ceremony. I am glad that some of the soil with the blood shed by Russians, Belarusians, and other nations will be kept in your temple. It is particularly significant in the year of the 75^th anniversary of the Victory.”

Valentina Matviyenko also did not try to hide her admiration of the temple where the ceremony had taken place. She stressed it was not only a beautiful temple. The church has a hall where people of the older generation and the younger one can come to offer a tribute of respect to those who fell in battle.

Aleksandr Lukashenko presented a bouquet of Belarusian flowers to Valentina Matviyenko, an icon of Saint Valentina of Minsk, and, considering the guest’s gusto for cooking, a book about Belarusian cuisine.

A delegation of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament led by Valentina Matviyenko is in Belarus on an official visit on 5-6 March.