Lukashenko and Putin to hold talks in Sochi. One of the main topics is import substitution.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is on a working visit to the Russian Federation. Talks between the head of the Belarusian state and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be held in Sochi on May 23, BELTA reports.

The leaders agreed to hold a full-format meeting on the sidelines of the CSTO summit in Moscow on May 16.

Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin will discuss in detail the entire spectrum of Belarusian-Russian cooperation, and the progress in implementing the instructions previously given by the governments of the two countries.

During a meeting with the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region of Russia, Gleb Nikitin, on May 19, Alexander Lukashenko said that he intends to discuss the issue of import substitution with Vladimir Putin, calling it the number one issue for the economies of the two countries in the current conditions.

"We had a very serious conversation with the President of Russia quite recently. In a few days, we will meet again on these issues, we will discuss them. We have already looked at what programs we need to implement, we have calculated how much money it will take. I must tell you: compared to this machine, which we have in Belarus and Russia (referring to the economies of the two countries as a whole. - BELTA's note), it is very little," said Alexander Lukashenko.

According to him, the governments of Belarus and Russia have already been given instructions on this topic, and the presidents intend to discuss the implementation of these instructions at a personal meeting: "We agreed with Vladimir Vladimirovich that we will sit down and look. There is a program. How is it being implemented? It is crucial for us and for Russia."

In addition, industrial cooperation will also be a topic of the meeting between the two leaders. "We need to clearly define: if, for example, we can produce good combine harvesters, then we need to unite with Rostselmash and not compete with each other, but compete with foreign models. Not to repeat the mistakes of the past," the Belarusian leader is convinced.

The Head of State is confident that strong economic and cooperative ties are the foundation of effective cooperation with Russia: "If we have these competencies, then we must focus on them and thus link the economies."

At the same time, Alexander Lukashenko stressed that Belarus and Russia are developing cooperation as two independent states and that progress in the issue of union integration should be made in stages. "Then we will not be shouting that we urgently need to introduce a single currency, urgently a single parliament, as if that is the main thing," he said. "No, we must stir up the people here and there, that someone is losing independence, someone is absorbing someone. Such tendencies have already emerged. As if we have nothing else to do today! Well, we cooperate, two independent states? We cooperate, and in all directions, moreover, not everything can be told publicly."

Source: belta.by