OREANDA-NEWS. May 7, 2009. Belarus supports a proposal made by Ukraine to cooperate in the energy area, said Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko after he met with President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko in Gomel on May 6.

During the negotiations the sides focused on energy issues. “Viktor Yushchenko said that Europe is curious about Belarus’ position on energy issues and transit. I said, it will be beneficial for us, we will uphold and implement all the projects,” Alexander Lukashenko underlined.

Belarus and Ukraine have traditionally good relations. “There is no need to convince anyone in my personal kindly feelings for the Ukrainian people, in those feelings that the Belarusians feel towards their neighbours. You have never been foreign to us, and we have always taken this fact into consideration in our relations,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian head of state underlined that major high-level decisions taken in Chernigov in January 2009 proved to be right. Today the Presidents of the two countries specified a number of mutually beneficial projects that are to be implemented. Alexander Lukashenko noted that Viktor Yushchenko proposed to realize some humanitarian projects the Belarusian side found interesting.

“The progress that emerged in Belarus-Ukraine relations on the highest level in the present day conditions of the global crisis will have a favourable impact on the economy and lives of our people. If the Prime Ministers implement what has been planned, the efficiency will be even higher,” the President of Belarus said. He added that “the policy that Ukraine pursues towards Belarus is tactful, reasonable and really bears fruit.”