Aleksandr Lukashenko meets with Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev

Russia plays a great role in promoting integration in the post-Soviet space, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev.

“Thanks to the Russian Federation, for the past four years we have achieved the highest results in integration,” the Belarusian head of state noted. Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that Dmitry Medvedev has done a lot in this respect. “Your determination, sometimes risk-taking in resolving those issues led to what we have today in the post-Soviet space. We have advanced in our integration in the CSTO, EurAsEC, the Customs Union and the SES, which even our enemies take into account. This is worth a lot,” the Belarus President said addressing Dmitry Medvedev.

Aleksandr Lukashenko congratulated Dmitry Medvedev on his appointment as head of government. “We discussed this topic, on my initiative, at a closed meeting of the CSTO. I suggested that the work as the Prime Minister changes little both for President Vladimir Putin and for Dmitry Medvedev after the presidency. Because in the huge Russia there are so many issues that it is difficult to split them between the Premier and the President,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

In his words, this is attested by the fact that Dmitry Medvedev will represent Russia at the G8 summit. "This seems to be the job for the president. Nothing of the sort. The Premier also addresses similar issues,” the President of Belarus said. “I want to say that little will change in your life. Work load will increase,” the he added.

On behalf of the Belarusian people, Aleksandr Lukashenko wished success to Dmitry Medvedev. “I very much hope that we will work constructively, and our meetings will be very fruitful,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “I am sure of that,” Dmitry Medvedev said.

The Russian head of government, in turn, drew attention to the fact that this is their first encounter in his new capacity. “But I am sure we will have a lot of good reasons to continue our communication both on a personal level, and to strengthen the relations between Belarus and Russia for the benefit of the two peoples, so that the integration in which we have been involved in recent years would yield benefits for our countries and peoples,” Dmitry Medvedev said.