Putin congratulated Belarus on the upcoming Independence Day

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a video message at the final session of the X Forum of the Regions of Russia and Belarus, congratulated Belarus on the Independence Day of the Republic, which is celebrated annually on July 3. Transcript of the Russian leader’s speech published on the Kremlin website.

“I also want to take the opportunity to congratulate all Belarusian friends on the national holiday – Independence Day of the Republic, which will be celebrated on July 3. We sincerely wish the Belarusian people happiness, peace and prosperity,” Putin said.

The President of the Russian Federation devoted the main part of the video message to the results of the forum and cooperation between Russia and Belarus. Putin stressed that Belarus is Russia’s first trade partner among the CIS countries and the fourth in the world. In 2022, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by 12%, exceeding 3 trillion rubles. From January to April 2023, mutual trade increased by another 11%, the president added.

The Russian leader said that more than 100 cooperation agreements and commercial contracts were signed during the forum. According to him, “lively discussions” took place on the sidelines of the forum on deepening industrial cooperation, implementing projects in the agricultural sector, introducing advanced information technologies, expanding humanitarian ties and tourist exchanges, etc.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in a video message to forum participants notedthat “several years ago” Russia and Belarus “sometimes sorted things out, proved something to each other”, but now there is no need to “agitate for the development of partnership” anymore. He stressed that the position of the republic remains unchanged: “no barriers and restrictions in interaction.”

The Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus is annually celebrated on July 3 – on the anniversary of the liberation of Minsk by the Red Army from German troops during the Great Patriotic War in 1944. The decision to celebrate on this day was made at the republican referendum in 1996.