Geopolitical Escort

Yes, this has not happened before.

On November 30 Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Minsk to attend the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). It includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. He, just in case, once again received full approval of his activities in Syria from colleagues and, according to a special correspondent of Kommersant, Andrei Kolesnikov, gratefully shook the hand of a girl appointed by Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

CSTO leaders met at the Independence Palace in Minsk. At first glance it was an ordinary ceremony: the heads of states approach the entrance to the palace, go upstairs, enter a huge hall with the host of the summit standing in the middle of it with his arms on the chest, the ruler of Belarus. They greet him and pass into the waiting room to take a photographing ceremony as soon as they come together.

But! All of a sudden Aliaksandr Lukashenka has decided to beautify the ceremony. With whom? With five girls of unprecedented beauty, they were standing in a row and handed out to the presidents after shaking hands. It looked strange: he showed girls to, for example, Nursultan Nazarbayev as if offering to choose which one was better, and a girl was following the man with a cute smile.

Yes, this has not happened before.

It is worth saying that Vladimir Putin who was the last to arrive had no choice, there was only one girl left. It would seem two lonely people finally met. And then the most unexpected happened. Putin, the only one of the presidents, instead of following an impressive girl (to the end of the world) shook her hand.

It seemed that the girl at that moment did not understand what to do next. Then she threw a glance at Lukashenka, he, it seemed to me, barely nodded and she nevertheless took Vladimir Putin away.

And this episode will be recorded not only in the contemporary history of the CSTO, but of Belarus and, of course, Russia.

The meeting, meanwhile, did not last for long (what for? the main thing happened, I believe, even before its beginning).

Aliaksandr Lukashenka spoke out before the discussion in an expanded format - and he could not help but be remembered. At least by one phrase only. And here it is:

- It was a principled conversation between the world's closest states! Unfortunately, there are no closer and more familiar states in the world!

What does it mean? How did it happen that those turned to be the closest ones but not some others (like Germany, Italy, the USA, Israel...)? Are there are no other close states but these ones?

Innocent situation suddenly turned into a confused one, and then Aliaksandr Lukashenka suddenly realized and added (unfortunately):

- Or, perhaps, it's a fortune!

He himself, of course, did not really understand what had happened in the end, and preferred to start from scratch: he thanked those present for coming to Minsk, and added:

- I'm sure that you love your city!

Again, Aliaksandr Lukashenka forced the summit participants to doubt themselves. What city did they have to love? The one they live in? Or the one Aliaksandr Lukashenka lives in and is this a florid way to consider him a go-to guy? And should they then consider him the go-to guy?

But at least one thing was clear: he wants to appear to be hospitable.

The ruler of Belarus wished everyone a bon appetit. The participants of the summit had a lunch on the second floor, journalists - on the third (anticipating reasonable questions, I'll say that the Belarusian fat was served in both places).

And I went into the study of the declaration "On the Situation in and around Syria" signed by the leaders of the countries. In the declaration the heads of the CSTO member states noted "the decisive contribution of the Russian Federation to the elimination of international terrorism" and considered "the convening of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress" (in Sochi) urgent. They also paid tribute to the President of Kazakhstan "for providing a platform for international meetings in Astana." Vladimir Putin wanted his colleagues to support every movement in Syria; and they did it.

When the presidents left to have lunch, CSTO Secretary General Yury Khachaturov said that they also discussed, among other things, triumphant results of "Illegal" operation held on the territory of the CSTO. Hearing the name, I, of course, shuddered and thought that my colleagues had finally decided to pay tribute to working days of Vladimir Putin in Dresden. But it turned out that we were talking about countering illegal migration. The operation was conducted twice in the last year. 127 thousand illegal immigrants were revealed (a great number. Europe gave a gasp and would not meet these figures).

- We searched for illegal migrants, but found drugs! - Yuri Khachaturov continued with inspiration.- 3929 cases were opened... 729 were opened under illegal keeping of weapons...

According to participants of the summit, the dinner was the most interesting and fruitful - in the direct, of course, sense of the word - the event of this day.

By the way, it was the thing the summit should have started from.

And not to finish the summit with it.

Then there would have been the place to invite girls to.