MINSK. April 5 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has expressed confidence that Russia and Belarus will overcome all hardships caused by Western pressure and "won't collapse."
"Who predicted that we were going to collapse - we didn't collapse. And we won't," Lukashenko said during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Wednesday.
Lukashenko recalled that the two presidents had discussed the development of the two countries' economies, specifically microelectronics, one year before. "And it was done. The solution was found in your country and in our country," he said.
Lukashenko also pointed out Russia's achievements in agriculture: "Bread is in abundance, such is the harvest. When was the last time this happened?" The Belarusian leader expressed hope that "things will be just like this in the industry."
Lukashenko arrived on a working visit to Russia earlier on Wednesday. In the evening of April 5, ahead of a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the two presidents are due to hold a separate bilateral meeting. Putin and Lukashenko are to discuss a broad spectrum of issues relating to Belarus-Russia relations, including those matters that are not subject to discussion at the Supreme State Council meeting.
The meeting agenda includes import substitution, building deeper cooperation and developing hi-tech industries, as well as the international situation, and measures being taken to ensure security, the Belarusian presidential press service said in a statement.