Swan’s song

On November 5 Belarusian and Ukrainian presidents Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Viktor Yushchenko met in Kyiv.

As informed by Interfax, Lukashenka and Yushchenko agreed that the document on the state border would be proposed for ratification by Belarusian “parliament”.

“In the joint communiqué we agreed to submit the agreement on the state border for ratification of the National assembly of Belarus,” Viktor Yushchenko stated at a press-conference in Kyiv summing up the results of the meeting with Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Thus, having visited Kyiv once again, Lukashenka hasn’t signed the document on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.

The Ukrainian president has informed that during today’s talks “much attention was paid to cooperation within the framework of the initiative of the European Union “Eastern Partnership”. “We have come to understanding of necessity of interaction within the framework of Eastern Partnership, ranging from trans-border projects, development of transport infrastructure, to roads reconstruction,” Yushchenko said.

He also believes that cooperation in the sphere of energy, Ukrainian electricity transit to the Baltic states is promising.

The Ukrainian president has stated that his country is in favour of “Belarus joining the Council of Europe”. Besides, Yushchenko noted that “it is beneficial for Europe when Belarus and Ukraine are together”. “Our region can give great benefits to the European continent,” the president underlined. He stated that “our two countries have learnt to speak in one voice in the relations with the European Union”.

“I am completely satisfied with the spirit and essence of our relations,” Ukrainian president said.

In his turn, Alyaksandr Lukashenka stated that summing up the results of talks with Ukrainian president in Kyiv, all the problem issues existing in bilateral relations have been eliminated.

“Today is the day when we have decided all the questions, raised all the problems which existed,” the Belarusian ruler said.

“We have been patiently and laboriously collecting these issues for three years, in order to solve them at last. And it is not timed just for political campaigns in Ukraine and then in Belarus,” A. Lukashenka said.

Lukashenka thanked his Ukrainian colleague “for colossal support to my country in building relations with Western states including the US”. “It is an open, honest position and support of your country,” the dictator said.

He also stated that “our (Belarus and Ukraine’s) relations recently stress leaders of some states”. “I mean not only Russia, but also others. And I understand such a reaction. Our alliance gives a possibility for our people to live better, we can rely on each other,” Lukashenka said.

Besides, he noted that “Belarus and Ukraine are the most strategic territories in the world”. Lukashenka underlined that “there is no Europe without Ukraine and Belarus”.

The Belarusian leader believes that in the near future it would be possible “to make progress in issues of energetic, transit, road construction”. In particular, as said by A. Lukashenka, “Europeans are interested in the Baltic and Black Seas being connected by transport corridor”. He also believes that cooperation with Ukraine in the sphere of energy resources transit is promising.

“Oil refining, oil deliveries, everything is in progress now. When we will see profitability of these projects, we will launch them immediately,” he said.

Speaking about prospects of implementation of a number of other joint Belarusian-Ukrainian projects, Lukashenka noted: “I think that after presidential battles we will gather and discuss these prospects”.

It should be reminded that Viktor Yushchenko’s rating in Ukraine now is not higher than 3%, and according to observers, he has no chances to stay Ukrainian president for the second term.