MOSCOW, August 30 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin of Russia had a telephone conference this afternoon with Alexander Lukashenko, his Belarussian counterpart, on the former's initiative, reports the Kremlin press service.
The Russian President made heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Lukashenko on his golden jubilee. The two presidents discussed prospective efforts to implement understandings they made during recent summitry in Sochi.
President Putin also forwarded a greeting message to President Lukashenko. It says, in part:
"We Russians know and value you as a leader who is working for closer bilateral integration, and promotes mutually lucrative equal cooperation of Russia and Belarus in their emerging union's interests.
"Together, we shall cope with tremendous tasks to offer worthy living standards to the present generation of the Russian and Belarussian nations, and the generations to come. Of that, I am sure."
