Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday congratulated each other on the occasion of the Day of Unity of the two countries’ peoples.“Relying on the good traditions of friendship and good neighborliness that bind Russians and Belarusians, our countries and peoples are systematically expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas. The mechanisms of the Union State are also being vigorously improved,” Putin said to Lukashenko in a message published by the Kremlin.Putin said Russia and Belarus are coordinating efforts in the field of defense and security, while also implementing programs to strengthen financial, economic, scientific, and technological sovereignty among the two countries, despite “unprecedented external sanctions pressure.”“I am confident that further building up the entire range of allied ties fully meets the interests of our fraternal peoples,” he further said.Separately, Lukashenko said in a congratulatory message to Putin that they are building up the potential of the Union State to fulfill “the will of the peoples.””Time has proved the strength and inseparability of the Belarusian-Russian friendship based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, trust and support, historical community and adherence to the same spiritual and moral values,” Lukashenko noted.Lukashenko also said he is certain that the desire for unity among Belarusians and Russians “will serve as a solid foundation for the further expansion of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation, building a strong, authoritative, and prosperous Union State.”The exchange between Putin and Lukashenko came amid the Russian leader’s announcement on March 25 that Moscow will complete the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, sparking fierce international criticism.Last week, the prime ministers of Russia and Belarus also called for intensifying bilateral efforts to strengthen their technological and economic ties, as both countries deal with major sanctions from the West.The Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus commemorates the signing of the treaty establishing the Union State of Russia and Belarus, an integration process, aiming to unite the political, economic, military, customs, currency, legal, humanitarian, market, and cultural spaces of the two countries.
