MINSK. May 17 (Interfax) - Belarus and Russia have built a unique union, and the relationship between the two countries cannot be affected by any opportunistic trends, Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik said, calling for more active efforts to build a belt of like-minded states sharing similar ideas about a just global order.
"The Russian Federation has been and remains the Republic of Belarus's key partner and strategic ally. Resting on a firm historical basis, our fraternal relations have stood the test of time, and are not susceptible to any opportunistic trends. They are multifaceted, versatile, and profound in all areas without any exception," Aleinik said during negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday, a video excerpt of which is available on the Belarusian Foreign Ministry's official account.
"This is a unique union that we have been able to build over the preceding years. We are of course committed to a consistent line on supporting Belarusian-Russian interaction, strengthening integration processes in economic and social areas and in foreign policy, and in ensuring and promoting citizens' equal rights," he said.
The Belarusian and Russian foreign ministries enjoy interaction at multiple levels, and have a program of coordinated steps in foreign policy, Aleinik said. The parties are due to adopt another two-year program for 2024-2025, which they expect to do during a joint meeting, he said.
"We'll be able to discuss aspects of preparations for this meeting today. During the upcoming meeting, we plan to attach great importance to interacting with more distant countries. We need to build a more serious belt of like-minded states, which share similar views on a just global order, the need to transition to a multipolar world, and on the norms and principles of the UN Charter," he said.
Aleinik positively evaluated the meetings with Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin and Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko that took place the day before.
The meetings "clearly showed the determination of the [Russian] parliamentary leaders and our common determination to promote integration processes within the Union State, and to strengthen absolutely all dimensions of this engagement - not only inter-parliamentary [work], but also trade and economic, interregional, interagency, and other kinds of interaction," he said.
Aleinik said he expected to discuss the entire range of issues on the bilateral agenda, coordination in the international arena, and joint steps to counteract external security and economic threats and challenges with his Russian counterpart.