UPDATE - Top diplomats discuss Belarus, Russia ties ahead of leaders’ meeting

UPDATES WITH RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Belarusian and Russian foreign ministers on Monday discussed bilateral ties and other issues of common concern in the Belarusian capital Minsk ahead of a meeting of the leaders of the two countries.

Among the issues Sergey Aleinik and Sergey Lavrov addressed were countering Western sanctions and bilateral interaction between Minsk and Moscow on international platforms, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Issues of trade and economic cooperation and the implementation of joint projects were touched upon. The ministers agreed on a date for holding a joint meeting of the collegiums of the foreign ministries. It is planned for the second half of January 2023,” the statement further said.

Aleinik and Lavrov emphasized the need to further develop Belarus-Russia cooperation “in the face of unprecedented external pressure in the interests of improving the well-being of citizens of the two countries,” it added.

Separately, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the meeting paid particular attention to providing diplomatic support for the implementation of programs "for the economic integration of the two countries, cooperation in the Commonwealth of Independent States, the upcoming Russian presidency in the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Belarusian presidency in the Collective Security Treaty Organization."

The statement also said the top diplomats exchanged views on international and regional issues, especially concerning the situation around the war in Ukraine.

"The focus was confirmed on coordinating steps on international platforms and countering political and illegal sanctions pressure on Russia and Belarus from unfriendly states."​​​​​​​

Russian President Vladimir Putin will later hold talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko during a one-day working visit to Minsk.