Naviny, Belarus
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March 13 2009
Lukashenka expected to return from Armenia no earlier than Saturday
13.03 // 16:53 // English
Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s visit to Armenia will last until at least
Saturday, March 14, Pavel Lyohki, press secretary of the Belarusian
leader, told BelaPAN.
The head of state will return to Minsk `no earlier than tomorrow’ and
`is yet to have more meetings’ in Armenia, Mr. Lyohki said, without
elaborating.
Government news sources in both countries have reported nothing on
what was called Mr. Lukashenka’s `working visit’ to Armenia.
The Belarusian leader arrived in the post-Soviet South Caucasian
country on March 11. At Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan,
Mr. Lukashenka and his five-year-old son Kolya were met by Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan.
The presidents had a brief one-on-one meeting at the airport and then,
according to unofficial sources, Mr. Lukashenka headed to the
Tsakhkadzor ski resort located at 1750 meters (5,740) above mean sea
level on the southeast slope of Mount Teghenis some 35 miles from the
Armenian capital city. He reportedly lodged at the newest and most
modern local hotel called Multi Rest House.
Prior to Mr. Lukashenka’s arrival, the Armenian president’s press
office said, `Within the framework of the visit, Serzh Sargsyan and
Alyaksandr Lukashenka will discuss issues concerning the strengthening
of bilateral interstate relations, the expansion of trade and economic
ties, cooperation in the framework of international organizations, and
counteraction to the challenges that the national economies are facing
amid the global financial and economic crisis.’
The press office said nothing more except that the Belarusian leader
would hold a meeting with representatives of Armenian business
circles.
An agreement on Mr. Lukashenka’s visit to Armenia was reached during
his telephone conversation with the Armenian president on March 9.
Haikakan Zhamanak (Armenian Times), a leading opposition newspaper in
Yerevan, reported Friday with reference to the Armenian president’s
spokesman, Samvel Farmanyan, that no time had yet been set for
Mr. Sargsyan’s meeting with his high Belarusian guest. In this regard,
the newspaper described Mr. Lukashenka’s working visit to Armenia as
strange.
However, earlier this month, the Belarusian leader paid a similar
working visit to Serbia, where he spent six days at a ski resort.
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