Lukashenko, Putin discuss bilateral agenda, pandemic, election in phone call

The telephone conversation between Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place today at the initiative of the Russian leader, reporters learned from the press service of the Belarusian head of state.In addition to the bilateral agenda, the parties discussed the pressing issues related to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the two countries and the development of a vaccine to combat the infection.The heads of state also discussed the course of the election campaign in Belarus. Vladimir Putin, in particular, noted the importance of further development of the fraternal Belarusian-Russian relations and the need to counter negative trends and actions by third parties which may lead to their deterioration. One of the main issues that was discussed during the phone call was the detention of 33 Russian citizens in Belarus. The parties stressed their determination to deal with the situation together in the most decisive manner. The presidents agreed to study thoroughly every fact in order to establish the true causes of the current situation, find those guilty and hold them accountable.