“You know our country well, so I think that your work as an ambassador will give a new impetus to our relations and the current level of our cooperation will be multiplied. What can we say about the relations between Belarus and Russia? Perhaps, there are no analogues in the world with such unity between the peoples, good-neighborliness, friendship, brotherhood. All that characterizes very close and good friends. On the other hand, of course, there is no limit to perfection. We will need to work hard so that we could solve the issues we still have more effectively for the benefit of our peoples and our countries,” Natalya Kochanova said.
The speaker emphasized that Belarus appreciates the level of the political dialogue between the two countries and the presidents. “Our prime ministers have been cooperating fruitfully. Our governments have been working quite successfully, and we support each other in integration structures. This is also very important, especially in this difficult period for our countries. It means a lot when you have a reliable shoulder of your brother, comrade-in-arms. We have a very good parliamentary relationship. We appreciate it very much. Valentina Matviyenko is our good friend and reliable partner. The Forum of Regions has become a very good platform. We are now gearing up for the eighth edition of the Forum, which will be held in Moscow and Moscow Oblast. It is a good platform for concluding contracts and most importantly, for promoting cooperation between our regions and nations. We hope that this forum will also give a new impetus to our relationship,” she said.
Natalya Kochanova expressed gratitude for Russia's support in the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus. “The fact that we have a vaccine and can vaccinate our people today is worth a lot. Today we are working on the vaccine. We hope we will start its production in the near future. Thank you very much. This is very important right now. So is the resumption of transport services between our countries. It will all be for the good of our countries,” the chairwoman of the Council of the Republic said.
In her words, Russia is Belarus' strategic partner, with which the country is ready for comprehensive cooperation. “Last year, there was a drop in trade because of the pandemic. We have already seen a growth this year. As for humanitarian activities, it is worth mentioning the cooperation of our youth organizations and education ministries. In general, we have good interaction between all state-run and public structures,” she added.
The ambassador noted that the two countries have not forgotten their history. “A nation that have forgotten its history have no future. This, above all, is the history of our brotherly peoples, united by a common understanding of values, the meaning of existence. This is why there are such aggressive attempts to divide us, to pit us against each other. Together we are strong, but alone we are weaker,” Yevgeny Lukyanov added.
The ambassador emphasized that Russia and Belarus, as the founding countries of the UN, know the price of peace better than many. “Belarus suffered a lot in the Great Patriotic War. They do not accept us, Slavs. I am not talking about our mysterious Russian soul. Or anything else. We are actually very simple. We see it when we are treated in a kind, friendly way, if it is friendship and support. It is, however, unacceptable when we are told to fulfill some conditions first and then we will be favored. We have already had such a period in the newest Russian history. We do not need aggravation, sanctions, internal pressure or anything else. Our task, like that of any normal state, is to ensure a decent social and economic environment for our citizens. This is the foundation of every state's security,” he said.
Written by: belta.by
