Talks between Lukashenka and Putin were held in St. Petersburg on December 29 and lasted about an hour.
It is reported that Putin stopped by to pick up Lukashenka before the meeting.
At the meeting, Lukashenka thanked Putin for his support “in difficult times of sanctions.” Also, according to Lukashenka, the GDP growth in Belarus this year amid the sanctions is primarily the merit of Russia, to which Putin replied that Belarus is in good financial condition. The Russian president considered allowing Belarusian companies to participate in the Russian state procurement as a “good step.”
Lukashenka and Putin also agreed to cooperate in aircraft construction and confirmed their intentions to hold joint military exercises in Belarus in February-March 2022.
Putin touched on bilateral relations between Russia and Belarus following the construction of the Union State, noting that a significant step forward was made in 2021 and referring to the 28 Union programs signed.
“This is first of all about finances. It is tax, customs legislation, fiscal legislation. This is very important. It will create better conditions for the development of the two countries’ economies,” Putin said.
After the talks, Lukashenka and Putin went to play hockey in the same team.
