Lukashenko Travels to Russia for Talks with Putin

"On September 14, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has left for the Russian Federation on an official visit. The central part of his visit will involve talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 15," the agency said, TASS reported.

It is noted that the talks will focus on the international agenda and regional issues as well as joint projects in the economic sphere, for instance in the industrial, agricultural and other sectors, as well as in the field of import substitution.

According to the news agency, the two leaders had planned consultations in accordance with the previously coordinated schedule.

Previous talks between Lukashenko and Putin were held in St. Petersburg on June 23. In addition to economic cooperation, the two presidents touched on many issues including the war in Ukraine and NATO’s intensifying activity in Poland.

At the end of August, the Belarusian government said that Minsk was coordinating with Moscow 12 additional import-substituting industrial projects which may be financed by a Russian loan. Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Petr Parkhomchik said that currently, 17 investment projects to the tune of 127 bln Russian rubles (over $1.3 bln) within the Union State are being implemented while 12 more projects worth 37 bln rubles (more than $385 mln) are at the coordination stage.