OREANDA-NEWS. October 25, 2012. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko expects the military and technical cooperation between Belarus and Russia to further develop. The matter was discussed at the meeting of the Belarusian head of state with Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

Alexander Lukashenko said that there were many things to discuss as well as problems to address in relations between the defense industries of Belarus and Russia.

The head of state remarked that a lot of time was spent discussing these matters during his latest meeting with the President of Russia in Sochi.

The Belarus President added: “I’d like to discuss the set of issues, which are surely resolvable, taking into account the strategy for our cooperation bearing in mind what we have today regarding manufacturing cooperation and mutual supplies. We’d like to have concrete solutions to concrete issues. We’d like to know how we should act in the future”.

Alexander Lukashenko invited Dmitry Rogozin to get familiar with the capabilities of the Belarusian defense industry. “I expect it to work for the sake of our common defense space. We have virtually a common army. You know absolutely well what is going on in the world today and the threats that exist,” said the Belarusian head of state.

In turn, Dmitry Rogozin pointed out the rapid advance of Belarusian-Russian cooperation in this area: “We have indeed advanced far this year. Our groups have done a good job finding ways and making new nodes of strategic partnership”.

The Vice Premier of Russia underlined the importance of combining Belarus’ and Russia’s defense technology potentials. “We should not just sell and buy ready-made products. There is a great need for a synergy of the intellectual potential and manufacturing cooperation. Then the strategic partnership that we have grown used to, in a manner, will acquire a new gleam of the high level of industrial capitalization of our relations”.

Dmitry Rogozin said: “Following the instruction of the President of Russia we have embarked upon a lot of work in line with the government program on armaments thinking that apart from strengthening the defensive ability of Russia and its allies the endeavor will be a serious attempt on a new industrialization of the country. We cannot afford to be weak in this world. The weakness is determined not only by the absence of armaments and military hardware. It is determined by the dependence on the market situation. Therefore, a powerful industrial potential is the only protection. And doing it we see great reserves for cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus”.