Achieving a $1 billion trade with Russia's Leningrad Oblast is a provisional target, as bilateral trade can be higher, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Leningrad Oblast Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko, BelTA reports.

The head of state recalled that during the previous meeting with the governor, the parties set a goal to reach a billion dollar in trade. “To achieve this, year-on-year supply volumes will have to grow by 20%. I believe that the task is feasible in the current situation, and we will definitely not limit ourselves to a billion. This is a provisional guideline,” the Belarusian leader noted.

Thanks to cooperation in manufaturing, Belarus and Russia were able to make the most of each other's strengths to achieve technological sovereignty, the president said.

“This will not only help us respond to the West's attempts to put pressure on us, but will also help create a new, healthy and competitive environment within our union [the Union State of Belarus and Russia],” Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced.

He cited a simple example: despite the robust growth of the agricultural industry in Belarus and Leningrad Oblast, the parties do not compete, but find areas where they can be of use to each other.