Russia and Belarus agree to cooperate within BRICS and EAEU

Talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Belarusian counterpart Maksim Ryzhenkov took place in Moscow, according to a statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website.

It is noted that the ministers discussed cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS, confirming mutual support for Belarus' chairmanship of the EAEU. Russia, in turn, expressed its readiness to promote further deepening of Belarus' participation in BRICS.

"We are ready to assist our Belarusian friends in deepening their cooperation within BRICS, where Belarus has been granted partner state status. [...] We will continue to assist each other in developing political and economic ties with the countries of the global South and East"

Sergey Lavrov Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia

Maksim Ryzhenkov stated that the parties discussed in detail all aspects of bilateral cooperation, including decisions in the context of the Union State and the international agenda. He emphasised that there are no unsolvable issues in the current relations between Russia and Belarus.

The ministers paid particular attention to the results of the work of intergovernmental mechanisms, including the High-Level Group of the Council of Ministers and the Working Group on the Implementation of the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State.

"We note the steady implementation of the Programme of Coordinated Actions in the Field of Foreign Policy for 2024-2026. It provides for close coordination and mutual support in the international arena," Lavrov said.

He concluded by noting that the negotiations had been productive.

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