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Lukashenka: Union State is not chimera

The Union State of Belarus and Russia is "not a chimera but a real and the most advanced integration organization" on the ex-Soviet territory, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said following hours-long talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow on Thursday.

A one-on-one meeting between Messrs. Lukashenka and Medvedev and a subsequent session of the Belarusian-Russian Union State's Supreme State Council, which was attended by the presidents and prime ministers of the two countries, lasted a total of eight hours.

While speaking at a televised news conference following the meetings, Mr. Lukashenka noted that the Union State, established in 1999, "has obvious prospects."

"We must not just make clear and comprehensible decisions now. We must implement them steadfastly, without foot-dragging, red tape, on the basis of mutual trust, common goals," he said.

The Belarusian leader acknowledged that not all Union State plans had been materialized. "We have not created a common economic space but are full of determination to do so," he said.

Mr. Medvedev, for his part, announced that Russia would continue its "policy aimed at assisting and supporting the Belarusian economy."

He expressed hope that "decisions made in the framework of the Union State and in the framework of bilateral procedures will help minimize the consequences of the financial crisis."

"This was a long, very busy day, which reflects relations between the Russian Federation and Belarus in their entirety and the huge prospects that exist and the unsolved problems that we have dealt with without cease together with Alyaksandr Ryhoravich during the last eight hours," the Russian president said.

Such meetings are "very useful, as by working consistently, discussing very difficult subjects, expressing arguable positions, reaching a compromise, we eventually contribute to what we must deal with as the presidents of our countries - a better quality of life for our citizens, Union State citizens, citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus," Mr. Medvedev said.