Alexander Lukashenko congratulates Vladimir Putin on 10th anniversary of Unity Day of two nations

Chairman of the Union State Supreme State Council, president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko extended congratulations to president of Russia Vladimir Putin on the 10th anniversary of the Unity Day of the Belarusian and Russian nations which is marked on April 2, BelTA has been told in the press service of the Belarusian leader. “Ten years ago Belarus and Russia made a right choice in favour of integration and union. That was the only right step meeting the interests of the two brotherly peoples”, reads the message. Alexander Lukashenko is convinced that the Union of Belarus and Russia is one of the most effective integration associations among the former Soviet Union republics. The two countries expand trade-economic links, strengthen defense cooperation and have similar positions on the international arena. An important event was the signing in January 2006 in St. Petersburg of a package of agreements which would enhance the social security of Belarusians and Russians. President of Belarus thanked Vladimir Putin for the consistent support of integration and expressed confidence that in the future the strategic union of Belarus and Russia will be getting stronger for the benefit of the two peoples. The Belarusian leader has also extended congratulations to first president of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin and state secretary of the Union State Pavel Borodin. Alexander Lukashenko send felicitation messages to top-rank officials of Russia, in particular, to chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union State, chairman of the government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Fradkov, chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly Sergei Mironov, chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union, chairman of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov. The president of Belarus congratulated Russian president’s chief of staff Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, governor of Moscow oblast Boris Gromov, deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly Gennadiy Seleznev, president of the chamber of commerce and industry of Russia Evgeniy Primakov. In a message to Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexii II Alexander Lukashenko notes: “Our countries have made the only right choice which is the key to the revival of their economic and political power”.