Putin, Lukashenko agree on schedule of top-level contacts
MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko coordinated a schedule of top-level contacts in a telephone conversation arranged at Belarus's initiative, the Kremlin press service reports.
Putin and Lukashenko "discussed a number of issues relating to political and trade-economic cooperation between the two countries. They reaffirmed their mutual determination to further strengthen strategic partnership and allied relations," it said.
The schedule of top-level contacts has been coordinated, it said.
The Belarusian presidential press service said "the two heads of state discussed a schedule of joint events for the future."
"In particular, they focused their attention on two major events, namely a session of the Supreme State Council, which is to take place at the end of February in Minsk, and the third forum of Belarus's and Russia's regions, which will also take place in the Belarusian capital in June," it said.
"The economy is the principal subject of both today's conversation and the two upcoming events. The Supreme State Council will address economic issues at the macro-level, and the forum will see how particular sectors are working on overcoming problems in the economy," it said.
The two leaders also talked about synchronizing their countries' steps in the current conditions, the press service said.
"The leaders took note of the fact that Ukraine's agreement with the EU on setting up a free trade area had taken effect and, in this context, discussed the countries' actions in the near future in these conditions. The presidents also touched upon some aspects of the Eurasian Economic Union's functioning," it said.
Lukashenko and Putin agreed to meet in the near future and discuss bilateral relations in a more substantive conversation behind closed doors, it said.
