MINSK, December 20. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pointed out that Russia and Belarus had reached "tremendous progress" in bilateral cooperation, however, he noted that both countries have a lot to work on regarding the establishment of the Union State. Lukashenko made these statements during the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin held on Friday in St. Petersburg.

"The progress is tremendous," Lukashenko said regarding cooperation with Russia in various areas. "Today Belarus buys from you not only raw materials but also component parts. More than 10 million work at enterprises in Russia, with which Belarusian companies cooperate manufacturing end products," the BelTA news agency quotes Lukashenko as saying.

"We have achieved a lot, not only in social matters, for our people. We have done a lot in economy," the Belarusian leader said. "After the collapse of the Soviet Union, we have not swayed away far from each other in economic, political and social sectors," the agency quotes Lukashenko. He mentioned the Union State Treaty as a great achievement of bilateral cooperation between Russia and Belarus. "If we have not implemented the document in full, this does not mean that we have gone separate ways, as it happened with, for example, Russia and other former Soviet Union countries (not only with the Baltic States or Ukraine)," he noted.

"But you are right: we still have something to work on," Lukashenko stressed.