Alexander Lukashenko: Russian political elite is absolutely unaware of Belarus’ realities
MINSK, 13 August (BelTA) – The political elite of Russia is absolutely unaware of what is going on in Belarus, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview to Formula of Power television programme, a joint project of the Itar-Tass news agency and the Rossiya television channel.
“The political elite of Russia has no idea what is going on in Belarus. They read biased newspaper articles written by people who hate Belarus and then say that Belarus veered to the west. You should better look for information in official sources, you’d better ask me in what direction Belarus has turned: to the west or to the east. They do not know what is happening here,” the President said.
The head of state underlined that Belarus remains a reliable ally of Russia. “Do not forget that Belarus is your only reliable partner and a strategic ally. It has always been like that,” Alexander Lukashenko stated.
The President said that he does not understand Russia’s concerns over Belarus’ efforts to establish closer relations with Europe. “Why is the Russian leadership so scared that we engaged in a dialogue with Europe?” the President asked. He added that Belarus’ trade with the European Union has almost reached the level of trade with Russia. “Europe accounts for 45% of our trade and it is billions of dollars. We cannot ignore that. This is why I use politics and diplomacy to promote our economic interests,” Alexander Lukashenko said.
