Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Surely, we will not trade in our friendship with Russia – Lukashenko to Putin"
Larisa Kaftan
Russian Prime Minister advocates rouble as Union State financial instrument
On October 6, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin flew to Minsk and attended a regular meeting of the Union State's Council of Ministers at Zaslavl residence near the Belarusian capital. On his way to the meeting, Putin negotiated with President Alexander Lukashenko at the republican Presidential Administration.
All visitors to the Presidential Administration have to enter by standing on moving floors and passing through massive metal detectors resembling X-ray machines. The Belarusian secret service, therefore, knows all of a visitor's inner secrets. Still it is unclear whether people suffering from a stomach ulcer or an enlarged liver present a danger or not.
Although Putin was not screened, all other officials and journalists had to pass this security check.
Instead of dull statements of protocol, Lukashenko began by explaining to Putin a misunderstanding regarding a media report of Belarus bargaining alternately with Russia and the West.
"We never bargain with anyone. Surely, we will not trade in our friendship with Russia," Lukashenko told Putin.
Lukashenko said the people of Russia and Belarus were expecting something from both leaders.
Putin, who did not comment on Lukashenko's excuses, said both nations were expecting consistent and professional economic policies that would improve their living standards, and that he and Lukashenko could accomplish this objective.
Putin and his Belarusian counterpart clarified these popular expectations and discussed more than 20 issues at a meeting of the Union State's Council of Ministers.
The Russian Prime Minister said hi-tech projects were a high-priority, but that gas prices remained the biggest problem in bilateral relations.
Although global gas prices have reached $500 per every 1,000 cubic metres, Belarus now pays $127 and will probably pay $190 next year. However, Minsk does not want to pay more than $140. Moscow, which loaned $1.5 billion to Belarus a year ago, plans to issue another tranche for supporting the Belarusian economy in connection with the latest price hike.
Putin proposed payments in roubles for gas deliveries yesterday.
"Why is paying in dollars so popular against the backdrop of problems now plaguing the US economy and its monetary system?" Putin said.
Although a common Union State currency will not be introduced in the near future, this issue remains on the agenda, Putin said.
Putin prioritised the possible deployment of Russian missile-defence systems in Belarus to counter a similar deployment of US National Missile Defence (NMD) elements in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Although the issue was not officially discussed, senior Belarusian military officials said the relevant agreements could be signed at the upcoming meeting of the Supreme Union State Council in Moscow.
The military officials said Belarus praised Russia's tough response to US intentions to deploy missile-defence systems along the Union State perimeter. "We are glad to see that Russia's response has changed since last year," the officials said.
After the talks, Putin told journalists that an action plan for the Russian-Belarusian regional army group had been drafted, but declined to elaborate. He said the plan was important for enhanced security.
Putin said Russia had established a working group for assessing online global financial-market reports, and that the Russian President and he were its active members.
