MINSK, December 19. /TASS/. Belarus has no plans to develop its own ballistic missile similar to Russia’s Oreshnik because of high costs, President Alexander Lukashenko said.

"We certainly won’t create another Oreshnik. It’s too expensive. However, we could do it, especially together with the Russians," he pointed out at the second session of the Seventh All-Belarusian People's Assembly.

Lukashenko noted that he had met with the designers particularly responsible for Russia’s strategic shield. "One of them worked on the Pioneer project here back in the Soviet times, building the nuclear capacity. He has been fond of Belarus ever since. He is happy to work here, and he has helped us a lot in the creation of a deployment site for the Oreshnik," the president added.