Lukashenko on basic principle of integration: our positions remain unchanged – no barriers and restrictions

There should not be any barriers and restrictions in Belarus-Russia interaction. Controversial issues, if they arise, should be settled promptly and constructively – as stated by President Aleksandr Lukashenko, addressing the plenary session of the 10th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia held in Ufa via video conference.

The President considers science, culture and education to be important components of the Belarusian-Russian co-operation, “This is eloquently confirmed by the results achieved during the past nine forums of the regions. There are 81 agreements on trade-economic, sci-tech and cultural co-operation between Belarus and 73 regions of the Russian Federation. At its core, the forum has become an effective dialogue platform where decisions needed by the peoples of the two countries are adopted. It’s important that representatives of different spheres – politics, business, culture, and science – are at the forefront of developing these decisions. This is the very people’s diplomacy, proving its effectiveness. The role of interregional co-operation in such processes is growing rapidly. In general, our positions remain unchanged: there should be no barriers or restrictions in interaction. This is the basic principle of partnership. Controversial issues, if they arise, should be settled promptly and constructively.”