国际英语新闻：Russian, Belarussian presidents vow to further ties

MOSCOW, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko has pledged to enhance bilateral relations, while the two post-Soviet countries are striving for integration.

    Medvedev and Lukashenko hailed the development of bilateral ties in a joint declaration signed in Brest, a Belarussian World War II fortress bordering Poland, on Sunday, which marks the first invasion of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in 1941.

    "The presidents of Russia and Belarus laud the sustainable development of Russia-Belarus relations and confirm their adherence to the Union State Treaty of Dec. 8, 1999," said the declaration issued after talks between the leaders, according to reports reaching here.

    The two countries will also boost comprehensive integration, strengthen the collective security system and humanitarian contacts, as well as improve living standards of both people, Itar-Tass cited the declaration.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko meet the press after their talks in Brest, Belarus, June 22, 2008.

As part of the integration progress, Russia and Belarus will continue the building of the customs union and the common tariff policy, the declaration said.

    "While taking the path of innovative economies, Russia and Belarus will encourage reciprocal investments in joint ventures and broaden industrial cooperation," it said.

    It also urged the two countries to unify economic and other laws, eliminate trade barriers and promote cooperation between each countries' regions.

    "Our strategic partnership is based on the Union State Treaty and complies with the general trend of our development," Medvedev told Lukashenko during a meeting on Sunday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko meet the press after their talks in Brest, Belarus, June 22, 2008.

    He pledged to settle all the questions in Russia-Belarus relations and moving forward bilateral ties.

    Belarus-Russia cooperation has been generally successful despite certain difficulties, Lukashenko said.

    "Although we had stumbled, the past eight years of our relations with Russia and its former president witnessed major progress," Itar-Tass quoted him as saying.

    During the one-day trip, Medvedev laid wreaths at the Eternal fire and a memorial to the defenders of Brest. He also met the World War II veterans on Sunday, the Day of Memory and Grief marked by Russia and some other post-Soviet countries.