The key facts
- At a meeting with Turchak, Lukashenko declared: 'We will never betray our brothers'
- Minsk is ready to support Altai in agriculture and machine building
- Lukashenko recalled Soviet economic ties and had previously proposed reviving the supply system to the regions
Statement at the meeting with Turchak
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, during a meeting with the head of the Altai Republic, Andrei Turchak, said that Minsk will not turn away from Russia even in the most difficult times and does not intend to abandon its allied commitments. This was reported by Life.ru.
Quote about 'brothers' and aid to the region
'Even in these difficult times, when the SVO is underway, there are all sorts of talks around it. But I said unequivocally that we are not traitors. We will never betray our brothers. And no matter how hard and difficult it may be, we will always be nearby, if there is anything we can do,' the outlet quoted Lukashenko as saying. He addressed the Altai governor separately, stressing that the region's geographical remoteness would not hinder cooperation: Minsk is ready to help 'in agriculture and in the machine-building sphere.'
The topic of the Soviet supply model
Lukashenko recalled that in Soviet times Belarusian enterprises supplied Leningrad, the Kaliningrad, Moscow, Bryansk, Smolensk and Pskov regions, and said he was ready to return to such a model 'at a more serious level.' About Moscow, he joked that it is 'a huge metropolis' and 'we must not overstrain ourselves,' although relations with it are 'not bad' for Minsk. As Life.ru notes, Lukashenko had previously proposed restoring the Soviet system of supplying Belarusian products to Russian regions — at a meeting with St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov he spoke of his readiness to supply partners with the necessary goods.
