Medvedev: Belarusian friends considering our integration suggestions

The integration of Russia and Belarus should be more significant, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said when speaking at the Russian parliament, Duma.

"The Belarusian friends have received our integration suggestions,” ria.ru quotes Mr Medvedev as saying. “They will decide what is acceptable and less acceptable to them.”

The Russian PM did not go into details. Russia would like to develop cooperation with Belarus but the result should be ‘mutually beneficial,’ he noted. Mr Medvedev said he had discussed it many times with his Belarusian counterpart. Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Vladimir Putin have also discussed it, he added. “The discussion of all the issues should be continued,” Medvedev noted.

An interesting incident happened in the Duma. A member of the Rodina party Alexei Zhuravlyov asked Dmitry Medvedev a question.  The presentation of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade does not specify whether the measures of state support meant for domestic producers’ export will affect Belarus, he said. The Russian PM promised to punish those responsible for ‘the misrepresentation of the essence of… the economic policy.'

President Lukashenka is expected to make his annual State of the Nation Address on Friday. He may comment on the suggestions received from Moscow during his speech.