MINSK, December 19 . /TASS/. The meeting between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin is necessary, as a number of issues cannot be resolved without the participation of the heads of states, Lukashenko said during his meeting with Putin in Minsk on Monday.
"You know that our governments have exhausted negotiating opportunities, as they say. As they report, the positions of the sides have been formulated, and we will discuss them in expanded attendance today. The governments believe that it is impossible to reach agreement on certain issues without us, Vladimir Vladimirovich," Lukashenko said.
Lukashenko proposed additional talks and, if necessary, making "relevant political decisions."
"I propose to work productively today on strategic areas that may define the foreseeable future of Belarus and Russia," he said, expressing his certainty that the decision that will be made today "will not disappoint either Belarusians or Russians and will contribute to prosperity and certainty in the future."
The Belarusian leader called the resolution of sensitive economic issues that will help to ensure the well-being of the people a priority for Belarus and Moscow.
"We must not repeat the mistakes made after the dissolution of the Soviet Union under any circumstances. So, the resolution of sensitive economic issues that will help to ensure the well-being of the people, and, eventually, the support of our reforms in social and political areas is our absolute priority," the Belarusian leader said.