Lukashenko confident in ability of Belarus, Russia to prevail

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We will overcome everything. To those, who hope or predicted that we would fall, I can say: we haven't fallen. No, things will not be easy. But when were they ever easy? We will endure and will accomplish everything even in microelectronics, which we discussed a year ago when we met in your office to discuss what we should do. It turns out we've found opportunities to keep working. Missiles fly and combat equipment moves in our country and your country. So we will overcome everything. We just need a bit of time. And tomorrow we will sum up our accomplishments. We've definitely earned the salaries we get paid.”

He remarked that Belarus and Russia had previously passed 28 programs in a bid to develop the Union State of Belarus and Russia. Upon Vladimir Putin's proposal they had put aside “the heights we have not been able to climb for a long time and still can't”. Aleksandr Lukashenko went on saying: “Back then upon your proposal (right here accidentally) you said: ‘Well, if we cannot, why should we run around in circles? Let's do what we can.' And we determined 28 Union State programs.”

The Belarusian head of state remarked that 80% of Union State programs had been implemented. Frequent meetings with Vladimir Putin were necessary to prevent slowdowns in the execution of these programs. “If they [the governments] stumbled over something or got stuck, we would meet right away and would make decisions to greenlight the implementation of these programs. We worked doggedly on these programs for two years after coming to terms,” the Belarusian leader noted. “And tomorrow [at the session of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Belarus and Russia]… While preparing for this event, I noticed that it is the first event of the kind where we will talk more to sum up results. We will have fewer problems to deal with. Certainly, there are some. More and more of them are emerging since we are developing. And these issues also get shoved onto our plates.”

The Belarusian head of state noted he had attentively observed Vladimir Putin's trip to Tula where he visited a railway machinery manufacturing plant. “A very right and good trip. And then again the working class already turns us towards import substitution. You said the right thing back then when you referred to agriculture as an example. They tried to scare us with famine and cold [due to sanctions]. Now Russia has plenty of cereals. When did it ever have such a huge harvest?! This is why exactly the same will happen in the manufacturing sector, too.”

Vladimir Putin also remarked he had listened to Aleksandr Lukashenko's address to the nation and the parliament. “We will discuss it a bit now,” he said.