Alyaksandr Lukashenka is to arrive in Moscow on September 14, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday.
“Indeed, Lukashenka’s visit will take place on Monday, September 14, it will be a working visit. He will have talks with President Putin,” news agency TASS quotes Peskov.
According to him, no signing of papers is planned.
Meanwhile, tension is growing in Belarus. For over a month, post-election protests have been underway in the country; the major demands of Belarusians are Lukashenka’s resignation; holding a free and fair election; releasing political prisoners; putting an end to police violence as well as propaganda on state-run TV stations.
On August 9, the presidential vote was held in Belarus; its official results were not recognised by the EU and the United States. The Kremlin, in turn, acknowledged the legitimacy of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s sixth presidency. Moscow sees no sense in establishing contacts with representatives of the opposition Coordination Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Belarusian counterpart Uladzimir Makey.
In mid August, the incumbent leader said that Russia would lend assistance if Belarus asked for providing security in the event of ‘external military threats’.
On September 3, Alyaksandr Lukashenka met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Minsk. He claimed that Belarusian electronic warfare specialists intercepted an ‘interesting’ conversation that debunks Berlin’s report about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s being poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent.
