Russia Is Long-Standing Key Partner of Belarus

On April 21st President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko addressed the people of Belarus and the National Assembly with a Message. In his speech the President touched upon virtually all aspects of Belarusian society’s life and emphasized that all-round cooperation with Russia is one of the pillars of Belarus’ sovereignty and economic development.

On April 21^st President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko addressed the people of Belarus and the National Assembly with a Message. In his speech the President touched upon virtually all aspects of Belarusian society’s life and emphasized that all-round cooperation with Russia is one of the pillars of Belarus’ sovereignty and economic development.

When communicating his Message, the Leader of Belarus devoted much attention to the foreign-policy course of our country. Alexander Lukashenko said that “all-round cooperation with Russia is one of the pillars of sovereignty and economic development of Belarus” (www.soyuz.by, 21.04.11). “Russia is a key strategic partner of Belarus,” stressed the President and pointed out the necessity to maintain and strengthen the progress and groundwork that have been achieved within the Union State and the Customs Union.

At the same time, Belarusian President reminded those present that “the backbone of the country’s foreign policy is its multi-vector orientation” (“Interfax-Zapad”, 21.04.2011). He noted that Belarus has its own place in Europe, which determines the necessity for a balanced interaction between the two centers of power. Thereby, Belarus should actively seek the common ground with European partners.

Besides that, according to the President, further development of bilateral relations with CIS countries is nonetheless important: “It’s not just a slogan. Strengthening of cooperation in various fields with Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and other partners will remain a priority” (“BelTA”, 21.04.2011). Alexander Lukashenko is convinced that the two vectors – eastern and western – are not enough for an effective policy: “Now Belarus receives large dividends from cooperation with such countries as China, Venezuela, India, the United Arab Emirates and others, but we mustn’t stop at what has been accomplished”.