Lukashenko: Belarus-Russia cooperation opportunities are expanding

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the country’s opportunities for cooperation with Russia have expanded amid growing regional tensions.

Speaking on August 24 during a meeting with Alexander Tsybulsky, governor of Russia’s Arkhangelsk Region, Lukashenko said Belarus’s importance was increasing because of developments in the region, according to BelTA.

“Today, we have to stand on the front line alongside you. There is no escaping it. Belarus’s significance, in light of the events unfolding around us, is growing,” Lukashenko said.

He said Belarus’s role in the international arena depended largely on its relations with Russia and indicated that cooperation between the two countries was progressing successfully.

“So far, everything is going well. We are managing both to warn and to deter our potential adversaries – let’s put it this way: not enemies as yet, but adversaries. They understand that we are not asleep here. And even if we are asleep, we see what we need to see,” Lukashenko said.

By Sabina Mammadli