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Putin, Lukashenko to discuss many issues, including state debt of Belarus — Kremlin

"Work on pressing issues continues without interruptions at the level of experts and various agencies," Peskov said

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko will discuss a wide range of trade and economic issues at their forthcoming meeting in Moscow, including the Belarusian state debt restructuring, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

"Work on pressing issues continues without interruptions at the level of experts and various agencies, be it the issue of Belarusian debts, the integration roadmap, prices for fuel supplied to Belarus, the future of our integration, the matter of cooperation between a wide range of enterprises, that is to say - on the entire complex of trade and economic relations."

"All of this is being discussed at the meeting of the two presidents every time. Now, as Belarus is going through a difficult period, this dialogue is becoming even more topical and important," Peskov said.

When asked whether the issue of refinancing the Belarusian state debt to Russia will be raised at the talks, he replied "naturally, of course."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said opening a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei on September 2 that the presidents of Russia and Belarus are to meet in Moscow within the next two weeks.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin arrived in Minsk for talks on September 3 and met with Lukashenko. The Belarusian president told the Russian premier he planned to "dot the i’s regarding all those issues which are very sensitive and painful for both countries" during the upcoming meeting with Putin.

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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