Lukashenka: It doesn't matter what country Kaliningrad Oblast will belong to

The dictator met with governor of Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast Nikolai Tsukanov.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka stressed that cooperation between Belarus and the Kaliningrad Oblast was active at all levels and in all spheres, BelTA reports.

According to him, the mutual trade has been growing since 2000 and reached nearly $300 million in 2013. “We had times when the bilateral trade was $0.5 billion. I think we have the right to set a task to reach the high level that we have had before. It means that we can reach this volume of bilateral trade. In my opinion, we should do our utmost to fulfill this task,” Aliaksandr Lukashenka said.

“Some of our enemies, including those in Russia and Belarus, say that Lukashenka wants the Kaliningrad Oblast to be a part of Belarus. Believe me, I do not have such plans. But we have a good tradition from the Soviet Union that Belarus has always supported Kaliningrad Oblast. We have never considered you to be an alien region. Perhaps, it doesn't matter what country the Kaliningrad Oblast will belong to,” he noted.

Governor of the Kaliningrad Oblast Nikolai Tsukanov stressed a target of $0.5 billion in bilateral trade seemed achievable. “Let's set this task,” he said.