Alexander Lukashenko: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I want to thank you for meeting with me. I still feel as though you are my colleague, so to me, it seems like we meet as before.
There are many problems. We heard about them at the meeting of the CIS heads of state. Yes, many problems. It is good that these problems were expressed by the heads of states when you were the chairman. I feel your responsibility, because many things depend on Russia. I can see a constructive attitude, so I'm sure we will make a decision on transportation this year, and on energy next year, and also for food security.
The fact is, it must be done. That's why I look forward to a constructive discussion today here in Minsk. I also think we can discuss some problems that exist in our relations. However it's unlikely that this will be difficult because we have been working together very effectively. Our economic, law enforcement and security services are working hard. I'm directly involved in this effort. Therefore, I think we are in a position to work out and approve more serious plans for Russian-Belarusian cooperation.
Vladimir Putin: Mr. Lukashenko, first of all, I want to say that I am glad to see you again, to speak about current issues, to look into the future and to discuss bilateral cooperation and our interaction within the CIS. You heard the discussion with my colleagues, and you saw that all these issues were discussed in the practical way -transportation, energy, and migration.
It is also important that we don't forget about the preparations for the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. It is our common holiday.
We will discuss seriously the issues you mentioned. But you are right in saying that the decisions presidents make should be recognized and implemented by the respective governments. Of course, I support these decisions, because I took part in preparing the issues. It is a good sign that we have started discussing these issues on the practical plane, because practical implementation of the decisions made will give a boost to effective economic development of all countries on post-Soviet territory, make our economies more competitive and allow us to take full advantage of the benefits inherent in our common systems after the break-up of the Soviet Union. I am speaking first of all about our energy grids, transport infrastructure, communications, and military-technical cooperation, which, I hope, we will discuss today on a bilateral level. Thank you for your attention to these issues.