New steps in cooperation, ice hockey and gifts under the Christmas tree. How the last meeting between Lukashenko and Putin of the year went

On December 29, talks between the Presidents of Belarus and Russia were held in Strelna, the oldest suburb of St. Petersburg, located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. The event deviated from protocol from the very first minutes (and, perhaps, it is long overdue to forget the word "protocol" when it comes to a meeting of two leaders): before the start of the negotiations, Vladimir Putin drove his Mercedes-Benz ML SUV to pick up his Belarusian counterpart, and the heads of state headed to the Konstantinovsky Palace.

Hockey Prelude

However, journalists who were ready to capture the official part of the meeting had to wait. It later became known that the presidents not only had a one-on-one conversation but also met with legendary Soviet hockey players Valeri Kamensky, Alexei Kasatonov, and Alexander Yakushev. They were presented with high Russian state awards.

The Belarusian President also congratulated the hockey players. "I was just telling Vladimir Vladimirovich how you (referring to Alexander Yakushev. - BELTA's note) played hockey against the Canadians: you were two meters tall and had hands so strong that it was impossible to get close," shared Alexander Lukashenko, recalling his memories as a fan.

As it turned out, this was not the last meeting of the heads of state with famous hockey players. In the evening, they met in a more informal setting – on the ice of the "Strelna Arena".

On a Significant Step Forward

During the official part of the meeting with Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin recalled the informal CIS summit held the day before in St. Petersburg. The President of Russia called the event "very productive" and noted that the heads of state had discussed many areas of cooperation. The summit, indeed, was likely productive: the informal communication between the presidents lasted for at least six and a half hours.

"Today we have an opportunity to discuss the bilateral relations between Russia and Belarus and the results of the Union State construction in a calm and unhurried manner. We have indeed made a significant step forward this year in aligning our positions on key areas," emphasized Vladimir Putin.

He stated that if in 2020, due to the pandemic, the volume of Belarusian-Russian trade fell by almost 17%, then in the current year, there has been a growth of 36%.

"I hope that we will cooperate just as productively in the coming year 2022," added the Russian leader.

On Support and Sanctions

Alexander Lukashenko, in turn, thanked the Russian side, and primarily President Vladimir Putin personally, for supporting Belarus during the difficult times of sanctions.

"It's not about flattery. It's about the fact that any proposal we make, or any request – you give instructions to certain people, and they are acted upon. Russian companies, the government, and banks are meeting us halfway, supporting us during this difficult time of sanctions. They continue to strangle us. They have introduced five packages, and they are talking about some sixth package. Moreover, these sanctions are mindless and useless to anyone," noted the Belarusian leader.

The President stressed that no matter how relations develop, Belarusians will never remain in debt. "I think we will be able to do much more," Alexander Lukashenko is confident. "We cooperate in all areas. And we will always do so."

On Unity in the CIS

At the talks, Alexander Lukashenko also spoke about the recent CIS summit and even left a small intrigue: it turned out that the Russian side put forward a certain initiative in the humanitarian sphere.

The President noted that although the recent meeting of CIS leaders was informal, it was possible to address fundamental issues, especially in areas where progress had been difficult. The Head of State focused on the humanitarian sphere – issues related to science, the Russian language, and so on. "All our colleagues pleasantly surprised us by supporting your proposals on many humanitarian issues. I think you will tell people about it yourself in due time," said the Belarusian leader.

"It was a very good event – kind, warm. We have once again seen that the leaders of the post-Soviet republics, including Belarus, perfectly understand the situation around us and have grasped all the intricacies of world politics. Thanks to Russia. Of course, Russia always takes a hit and has taken one from this. But by doing so, you have shown your reliability. And this behaviour of all of us – the heads of state – is evidence that we understand what is happening. People understand in our states. And there has been a very significant shift (I am an experienced person in this regard) towards our unity – solving issues together," stated Alexander Lukashenko.

On Competition and New Cooperation Projects

During the meeting, the head of the Belarusian state noted that Belarus and Russia have recently been able to significantly boost cooperation processes and joint work on import substitution. Vladimir Putin, in turn, emphasised that the admission of Belarusian enterprises to state procurement in Russia was a good step from the Russian side. "This significantly expands opportunities for Belarusian enterprises. And it benefits us, because it increases the level of competitiveness in the market," he said.

"We would rather compete with Russian companies," remarked Alexander Lukashenko.

"That is exactly how it is. The level of internal competition must be ensured. In this sense, it is an absolutely conscious step that will benefit both Belarus and Russia," added the President of Russia.

During the protocol part of the negotiations, it became known that Belarus and Russia have agreed on cooperation in aircraft manufacturing. "We have agreed, we can say already. Thanks again for supporting cooperation in aircraft manufacturing. We have both civilian and military aircraft plants. We can do a lot through cooperation. Moreover, they are in demand for Russian aircraft manufacturing," stated Alexander Lukashenko.

"Absolutely," agreed Vladimir Putin. "Following the results of our meeting, this will be another instruction to the government."

On Joint Exercises

The heads of state also confirmed plans for holding joint military exercises on the territory of Belarus in 2022.

"I know that you and your military are considering my proposals for exercises on the territory of Belarus. I would like these decisions to be made by you. This will be beneficial for Belarusian-Russian relations," said Alexander Lukashenko.

Vladimir Putin, in turn, stated: "As you proposed, we will hold them at the beginning of the year. The military will agree on the details. In March - February. I don't know when they will decide."

It was previously reported that joint exercises are planned to be held on the Belarusian border.

Hockey Match

After rather lengthy negotiations, the leaders of Belarus and Russia continued their informal communication, but this time in hockey gear. They met on the ice of the St. Petersburg complex "Sputnik Arena", and were joined by famous Soviet and Russian hockey players Vyacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Kamensky, Alexei Kasatonov, Pavel Bure, Sergei Fedorov, Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexei Zhamnov, and others.

The heads of state took to the ice as part of the "White" team, but played in different lines: Alexander Lukashenko wore number 01, and Vladimir Putin wore number 11. The friendly match ended with a crushing defeat for the "Reds": the score on the scoreboard after three periods was 7:18.

After all the events, it became known that Alexander Lukashenko did not come to meet Vladimir Putin empty-handed. The Russian leader left the negotiations with his arms full of gifts. "As always, a basket of the most delicious Belarusian products: sausages, cheeses. And also a set of glasses," wrote the Telegram channel "Pool of the First". It was specified that the glassware was produced at the "Neman" glass factory.

Source: belta.by