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Lukashenka to have bilateral talks with Putin, Nazarbayev in Minsk on Tuesday

Alyaksandr Lukashenka will have bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Minsk on Tuesday within the framework of a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of heads of state, according to the Belarusian leader’s press office.

Mr. Lukashenka will preside over the meeting, the press office said. Participants will discuss a draft agreement on the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union and the implementation of an action plan for the accession of Armenia to the Customs Union and the Common Economic Zone of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, he said.

The Russian president’s aide, Yury Ushakov, said last week that Messrs. Putin and Lukashenka were expected to discuss the crisis in Ukraine at their meeting in Minsk on April 29.

The presidents of Russia and Belarus are expected to discuss major international issues, including “the situation in Ukraine,” joint efforts to strengthen the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the context of the current, second year of Belarus’ CIS chairmanship, and issues relating to trade and economic relations between the two countries, Mr. Ushakov said.

Belarus is Russia’s fifth largest trading partner after China, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, Mr. Ushakov noted, adding that Russian-Belarusian trade in 2013 totaled $39.7 billion, with Russia accounting for 49 percent of Belarus’ all foreign trade. //BelaPAN