Telephone conversations with Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine

Over the past two days Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has held phone conversations with the Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

On 13 August Aleksandr Lukashenko talked with Vladimir Putin over the phone twice. The Presidents of Belarus and Russia discussed in detail the functioning of the Eurasian Economic Union against the background of Russia’s embargo on a number of foreign products and the issues related to the transit of the banned goods via Belarus.

Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin also touched upon the situation in Ukraine in connection with the country’s signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union and the ban on the import of certain Ukranian goods to the Russian Federation.

Aleksandr Lukashenko was briefed on the problems that arose with the delivery of the Russian humanitarian aid to the Ukranian population living within the territories of combat operations.

The parties talked over the initiative to hold a meeting of the Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. The President of Belarus suggested holding it Minsk long ago in order to discuss the issues Ukraine can have with the Customs Union following its signing of the Association Agreement with the EU and continuing confrontation on its territory. Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested considering the idea at his recent meeting with leaders of the Communist parties of Russia and Ukraine Gennady Zyuganov and Petro Symonenko.

Discussing its possible format, the Presidents of Belarus and Russia stressed that any stakeholders can attend the meeting.

The same issue was the main topic of a phone conversation between Aleksandr Lukashenko and his Kazakhstani counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev on 13 August.

Aleksandr Lukashenko briefed his counterparts on a phone conversation with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. Apart from bilateral cooperation, the Presidents of Belarus and Ukraine discussed Ukraine’s relations with the Customs Union, a possible format and the place for the meeting between the Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine.