Meeting with Head of Russia’s Altai Republic Andrei Turchak

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Head of Russia’s Altai Republic Andrei Turchak in Minsk on 29 October.

Speaking about the Altai Republic, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that although it is a distant region for Belarus, it is a highly interesting one: “I know your region well both geographically and historically. To be honest, I have never been there, although the Russian President has invited me several times. He says, ‘Let’s go, I’ll show you its beauty.’ Russia has a vast number of such beautiful places. The southern part of Siberia is a very fascinating region, and as a tourist destination, it is of great interest to our people.”

According to the President, Belarus is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination for Russians.

“We rank first in terms of Russian travelers within this massive Eurasian region. We welcome this trend. We appreciate it not only from an economic standpoint because of the money – after all, it’s not poor Russians who come here, they are wealthy. But we are glad that Russians have finally seen that there are no obstacles in Belarus. We share the same language, and there are no barriers. They come here and feel right at home. And Belarusians, naturally, welcome Russians with great respect. No matter their ethnicity, a Russian is one of our own,” the head of state said.

“This is our policy. You can rest assured of that. Even in these difficult times, when the special military operation is underway (when all sorts of allegations are flying around), I said unequivocally that we are not traitors, we will never betray our brothers. No matter how hard and difficult it may be, we will always be there for you. If we can do something to help, we will do it, including for your seemingly geographically distant region,” the Belarusian leader said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko assured Andrei Turchak of the Belarusian side’s readiness to develop cooperation in the areas that would be of interest to the Altai Republic: “If you find something interesting in Belarus, just say so. We will always be ready to assist. In agriculture, in the machine-building sector.”

The head of state noted that Andrei Turchak, who previously headed Pskov Oblast, a region neighboring Belarus for a number of years, knows the country’s capabilities well and was directly involved in developing cooperation with Belarusian regions.

Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that recently, at a meeting with St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov, he had spoken about the need to revive the Soviet-era practice when Belarus was assigned its own zone of responsibility and was a supplier for a number of Russian regions and cities. “Leningrad, Kaliningrad Oblast, Moscow Oblast in Soviet times, not to mention the Bryansk, Smolensk, and Pskov regions were our zone of responsibility. We are ready to return to this practice and take on the burden of cooperation more seriously,” the President said. “Naturally, Moscow is a huge metropolis. We’d better not overstretch ourselves there. I’m afraid to even mention it. But we have good relations with Moscow as well. These regions [neighboring Belarus] matter to us no less than our own. We have always been open. Moreover, you don’t choose your neighbors.”

The President emphasized that Belarus has always cooperated with neighboring regions, helping each other with machinery and fuel during the harvest season. “We enjoy good relations. You have experience. If we can do something, we are always ready to do it. I am grateful that you have come to Belarus. This is very important for us. You are a very well-known person, politically as well. It is a great pleasure for me to meet with you,” the head of state noted.

Andrei Turchak recalled the meeting with Aleksandr Lukashenko in June 2015 as he visited Belarus in the capacity of governor of Pskov Oblast.

“We know you well, and you know Belarus well too. You are always a welcome guest,” the head of state assured.