Belarusians, Russians willing to unite - Lukashenko in New Year greetings to Putin
MINSK. Dec 30 (Interfax) - The will of the Belarusians and the Russians to unification will provide a solid foundation for building up integration, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.
"As before, the will of the Belarusians and the Russians to unification will lay a solid foundation for enhancing integration, multifaceted cooperation and forming the common modern history," Lukashenko said in his New Year and Christmas greetings sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He expressed confidence that "the further scrupulous work to honor the two countries' national interests as part of the Union State based on the profound trust and respect will tangibly boost the development of the whole range of bilateral relations," the Belarusian presidential press service said.
The incoming year will mark a landmark date, that is, the 20th anniversary of signing the Union State Treaty, Lukashenko said. "The Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation passed a complicated path, but one can say with confidence today that the two nations' union came into being," the congratulatory message reads.