Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Congratulates Putin On Unity Of Peoples Of Russia, Belarus Day

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Congratulates Putin on Unity of Peoples of Russia, Belarus Day

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday on the Unity of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Day, which is celebrated annually on April 2

MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd April, 2019) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday on the Unity of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Day, which is celebrated annually on April 2.

"The agreement on the Union State [of Russia and Belarus] creation unites the closest partners and the kindest neighbors in the post-Soviet space. This is exactly where the vital force and the huge potential of the Belarusian-Russian integration have origin," Lukashenko's message read, as quoted by his press service.

Lukashenko stressed that, given the existing international situation, Russia and Belarus had to strengthen the Union State, taking into consideration national priorities and equality principles.

"I strongly believe that trust and mutual understanding will remain the defining characteristics of the Union State construction and will take our bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level that will be in the interests of our people," Lukashenko added.

On April 2, 1996, Russia and Belarus signed an agreement to create the Commonwealth of Russia and Belarus in order to enhance mutual integration in various spheres. A year later, the commonwealth was transformed into the Union of Russia and Belarus, and since then the Union of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Day is celebrated. In December 1999, the leaders of the two countries signed an agreement to create the Union State of Russia and Belarus, and on January 26, 2000, the agreement came into force after having been ratified by both countries' parliaments.