Plans for Russian air base in Belarus to be discussed constructively - Peskov

MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarussian counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenko will go ahead with a constructive discussion of the possibility for creating a Russian airbase in the Belarussian territory, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. "The presidents discussed various aspects of that theme. The constructive discussion will go on," Peskov said, adding that Putin and Lukashenko would soon meet in Kazakhstan, at the summits of the CIS and Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on October 15-16. "They will have an excellent opportunity to discuss these issues on the sidelines," Peskov said. He recalled Putin had already sent a message of greeting to Lukashenko to congratulate him upon his convincing victory in the presidential election. Earlier, Lukashenko said that he would discuss the issue of Russian military bases in Belarus. "We will consider that problem. If Russia sees certain things we do not see, it will tell us," Lukashenko told the media, adding that "if the air force issue is unequivocal, then give us these 24 planes." At the same time he doubts that Russia will really push ahead with its plans for a military base in Belarus. Putin last month instructed the Defence Ministry and Foreign Ministry to enter into negotiations with Belarus and to sign an agreement on creating a Russian airbase in the country’s territory. As the Russian government said earlier, the agreement would contribute to establishing a joint defence of the Union State’s border in the air space and to create an integral regional air defence system of Russia and Belarus. Read more