Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin presided over an April 6 meeting in Moscow held to discuss the “Union State” treaty between the two countries.
In effect since 1999, the Union State treaty is aimed at cementing economic and defense ties between the two former Soviet republics.
“Russia and Belarus are stepping up their cooperation in defense and security and will continue to do so,” Putin said at the meeting, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
“This is very important today, given the turbulent international situation,” he added.
A Belarusian T-72 tank shoots at a target during a tank biathlon competition outside Minsk, Belarus, on June 17, 2017. (Maxim Malinovsky/AFP/Getty Images)
Lukashenko, for his part, said the Union State had created an “effective system of defense and security,” including a joint Regional Group of Forces and a joint air-defense system. …