Lukashenko Welcomes Putin at the Independence Palace in Minsk (Video)

Today, Thursday, the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, welcomed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at the Independence Palace in Minsk, where a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will be held later today. Earlier, Putin arrived in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. The agenda for the summit will include improving the collective security system, as well as international and regional issues. The Russian president discussed security matters in the region during talks with his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon, who had recently visited Moscow. Ahead of his trip to Minsk, Putin raised the issue of establishing a unified air defense system for CSTO member states during a meeting with the government, announcing Moscow's readiness to continue and complete this work. He noted that two divisions of the Russian S-300 air defense systems, totaling eight launch platforms, have already been delivered to Tajikistan.