OREANDA-NEWS. March 23, 2009. The heads of state continued their discussion of topical issues concerning international and interregional cooperation, including the preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The Presidents have also toured the ski resort.

Previously Dmitry Medvedev and Alexander Lukashenko discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation during a meeting in Zavidovo on 19 March 2009.
Beginning of a Meeting with President of Belarus Alexander LukashenkoMarch 21, 2009:
PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Dear Alexander Grigoryevich, the day before yesterday we agreed to discuss first issues of trade and economic cooperation, cooperation in the financial sector, and then, after a short pause, to meet and discuss issues of interregional cooperation, the integration procedures our countries are involved in, mostly in the Eurasian area, and to talk about international issues.

In addition, in Sochi on Monday there will be a meeting of the Council for Sport, which will be devoted to preparations for the Olympics.

PRESIDENT OF BELARUS ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO: You preside over the Council?

DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Yes, as President I am in charge of it.

I suggest we talk about Russian-Belarusian cooperation in preparation for the Olympics in 2014 because we have a number of interesting projects that we promote together.

That is the agenda for today, if you have no objections.

ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO: Dmitry Anatolyevich, I am very grateful for such a proposal.

I would just like to ask you – I am probably going to load you up with technical issues here – since you know that we will be building one of the biathlon facilities for the Olympics in Sochi, a very large investment project, I would like you to get involved in the construction and to assist us in this regard, because it’s obvious that something’s amiss. So I have invited the guys who are directly involved in this.

I agree with you completely about today’s meeting, because we really have discussed anti-crisis measures, the economy and so on, and we still have a range of other questions to talk about. And of course it would be a good idea to go over foreign policy issues so that there are no misunderstandings. Moreover, you have talked a lot about the upcoming G20 summit.

We are very well acquainted with your suggestions, our Government Cabinet has looked into them and given them its unqualified support. We are committed to these issues.