Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Russia's Primorsky Krai Governor Oleg Kozhemyako on 22 September in Minsk. As he pointed out, Belarus is interested in the development of cooperation with the region in spite of the geographical distance and views the region as a close and important partner:

(soundbite)

I want you to know that in spite of the geographical distance and many kilometers between us, we do not view Vladivostok as a far and alien city. We often recall our common Fatherland which spanned from Brest to Vladivostok. Thus, you are living in our Fatherland, and we will always develop our cooperation.We know that your region is very rich in natural resources. Definitely, Russia makes its own machines and equipment, but we do, too. And if there's a need, we will keep in mind that there's someone like you out there, a person we know well, and some very strong people, too.