Lukashenko arrives in Sochi for talks with Russian president

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday arrived in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi where he will hold face-to-face talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the BelTA news agency reported. This is Lukashenko’s first visit abroad after the presidential election that was followed by mass protests.

His visit to Russia was preceded by intensive preparations. The leaders of the two countries held phone conversations six times during August. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Minsk in early September, while earlier Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei had visited Moscow.

The Kremlin press service reported that the leaders plan to discuss key issues of further development of Russian-Belarusian relations of strategic partnership and alliance. "A special focus will be placed on the implementation of major joint projects in the trade-economic, energy and cultural-humanitarian spheres, as well as the prospects for promoting integration processes within the Union State," the Russian leader’s press service noted.

According to Lukashenko, it is planned to dot the i's on the most sensitive issues for the two countries during his meeting with Putin.