OREANDA-NEWS  The victory in the Great Patriotic War has become a connecting thread between the peoples of Russia and Belarus, President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko said in a congratulatory message to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The text is published by the press service of the Belarusian president.

Lukashenko also noted that the feat of millions of Soviet people, "the hardships and incalculable sacrifices that fell to their lot" have forever entered the heroic annals of the two states.

On May 8, the President of Belarus arrived in Russia on a working visit to take part in the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and attend the Victory Day parade on May 9.

Earlier, Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleynik said that the union of Minsk and Moscow is the envy of the West. "Our union is really unique in itself. It affects almost all spheres of life of the state and society," he said. At the same time, as the diplomat noted, some openly claim that they would like to "drive a wedge" into relations between the two states.