OREANDA-NEWS. July 3, 2008. The message of the head of state reads, in particular:

"For Russia, Belarus is a reliable partner and ally with which we overcame the most severe test. At the recent meeting in Brest, we honoured the memory of soldiers who heroically fought with fascist invaders and defended the freedom and independence of our Fatherland. The bitter casualties and losses that the Belarusian people sustained during the Great Patriotic War gives special meaning to celebrating Belarus’s major national holiday on the day of its liberation from German occupation.

Many centuries of brotherhood and friendship unite our peoples, and today this heritage is essential for the successful development of our cooperation. Our main objective is to improve the living standards and welfare of the citizens of Russia and Belarus as well as continuously deepen interstate integration based on the principles of a market economy and democracy ".