MINSK, September 30. /TASS/. The issue of Belarus’ accession to Russia is not on the agenda whatsoever; the two countries’ leaders are wise enough to establish a union that would be stronger than a unitary state, BelTA agency quoted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as saying in an interview with CNN on Thursday.

"I answered this question not long ago. We [with Russian President Vladimir] Putin, Russia’s and Belarus’ authorities in general, are wise enough to establish a union of two independent and sovereign states that would be stronger than a unitary entity," he said. "Such an issue (of Belarus’ accession to Russia - TASS) is outside the agenda whatsoever. It is an invention of the collective West."

According to Lukashenko, Belarus is the Union States’ outpost and Russia’s armed forces deployed in Russia’s western regions would support Belarus in case of a conflict. "We actually have a common army in the western direction, a common armed unit formed around the Belarusian army," he said. And in case of a conflict, and we make no secret of it, the entire western part of the Russian armed forces will support us. I don’t mean to intimidate you. I just want to recall what we say all the time."

So, in his words, any talk that Belarus is running the risk of losing its independence through close cooperation with Russia is groundless.