BELARUSIAN, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS DISCUSS TIES

Belapan news agency
March 15 2009
Belarus

Minsk, 14 March: Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who had stayed in Armenia
since 11 March, had a meeting with that country’s president, Serzh
Sargsyan, on Friday evening [13 March].

Part of the meeting was broadcast by Channel One of the Belarusian
Television and Radio Company.

"We are the closest allies and we have no subjects that would be
closed for talks, from military-technical cooperation to economic
and financial issues and trade," the Belarusian leader said, with
his five-year-old son Kolya sitting together with him.

"Media outlets in our country, in your country and in the world are
speculating on our meeting and talks," Lukashenka said.

"Those who are agitated should calm down. I’ve come to a country
friendly to me. I’m being given a proper reception and a proper
welcome here. You are a dear and close person to us. We know well
how Armenians live here and how they live in our country. We’ve never
created any problems."

"We are spiritually kindred nations," Sargsyan said. "We were part of
one state for a long time and have been members of one organization,
the Collective Security Treaty Organization, since we acquired
independence."

According to him, there are issues that could be discussed more
efficiently if the heads of state are involved, especially now that
there is a financial and economic crisis in the world and the economic
relations between the two countries need "a positive impetus".