Lukashenko thanked Nazarbayev for keeping promises

Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko talked about matching positions with Kazakhstan on development of integration processes at the post-Soviet space, including functioning of the Common Economic Space (CES), Interfax-Kazakhstan reports. “As for the CES, we have absolutely identical opinions,” Lukashenko said on Monday, May 14, at the meeting with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Minsk. “The idea (of creation of the Eurasian Union) that you have voiced 15 years ago will soon not only get its clear outline but also fill up with content,” Lukashenko told Nazarbayev. Belarus President stressed that both countries have no unsolved political and economic issues. Lukashenko thanked Nazarbayev for sticking to his word and controlling implementation of the decisions taken earlier. Lukashenko said that it allowed both countries to get closer to the commodities turnover of $1 billion. “Kazakhstan is in the third place on Belarus’ trade list after Russia and Ukraine. If Kazakhstan was located closer, like Ukraine, the commodities turnover would have been much higher,” Belarus President said. Lukashenko also expressed gratitude to his Kazakhstan counterpart for including Belarus into Kazakhstan’s state programs that will help expand the trade-economic relations between the countries even further. Lukashenko noted that this is not the first time the presidents meet during Nazarbayev’s visit to Belarus. “We had an opportunity to discuss many issues and I am thankful to you for visiting Belovezhskaya Pushcha, a unique object,” Lukashenko said explaining that on weekend the presidents had an informal meeting in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Belarusian part of the Bialowieza Forest, which is the only vast remnant of the primeval relic forests within the lowlands of Europe. In return Nazarbayev said: “This is my first visit to this splendid part of our planet (Bialowieza Forest).” Nazarbayev also said that Belarus is Kazakhstan’s strategic partner, close friend and ally. “We expect much of the Customs Union and the CES and that makes our countries closer. There are no closer allies that Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan at the post-Soviet territory,” Nazarbayev said. He expressed confidence that his visit to Belarus will take bilateral relations to a new height. After negotiations in Minsk presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan went to Moscow for a CSTO summit and an informal meeting of presidents of CIS member-countries on May 15.