Has Medvedev ordered Lukashenka to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

• 1.09.2008, 17:50

A phone call has taken place between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Alyaksandr Lukashenka on Saturday.

“During the conversation the heads of the states discussed vital issues of Russian-Belarusian cooperation, in the bilateral format and in international affairs,” the press-service of the Kremlin informs.

“Russian President has congratulated A. Lukashenka on his birthday,” the press-service notes.

Note of the Charter’97 press-service: It is easy to imagine what “vital issues” have been discussed by Medvedev and Lukashenka. The Belarusian ruler hasn’t recognized independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia yet, as it has been done by Russia earlier despite of a sharp criticism of this step by the whole international community.

Besides, on August 20 Poland and the USA signed an agreement on deploying elements of the US anti-missile shield at the territory of Poland, according to which Pentagon is set to place 10 interceptor missiles at a base not far from the Baltic Sea.

Russia has many times threatened retaliatory steps in case pentagon plans would be materialized. Possible retargeting of strategic bombardment capabilities to Poland and the Czech Republic objects is possible. Deploying of Iskander missile launchers or strategic bombers was also called possible at the territory of Belarus.

On August 19 at the meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Alyaksandr Lukashenka agreed to create a common anti-missile system with Russia. Heads of Russia and Belarus have agreed to hold a session of the supreme council of the “union state” this autumn, where the agreement on creation of the common anti-missile system would be signed. The secretariat of the “union state” has made it clear that is a response to placing US anti-missile system in Europe.