
By Yuri Polyakov
Russia is certainly the closest and the most important partner of Belarus. They both share common cultural, economic and political ties. In fact, Belarus was the only country in the post-Soviet space who actively encouraged further integration of its political and economic system with Russia. Perhaps Alexander Lukashenko played a prominent role in fostering ties with Russia since he became President of the Republic of Belarus in 1994. However, his recent remarks about Russia and President Putin astonished the Russian political and business establishment.