Lukashenko suggested that Russian cities return to the "Soviet practice"

It is necessary to revive the Soviet practice, when Belarus was responsible for providing a number of large cities and regions of Russia with the necessary goods. Alexander Lukashenko said this today, October 27, at a meeting with the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov.

"It's time to return to the Soviet practice, when Belarus was responsible for Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, the Moscow region, partly Moscow (it is huge, especially now, I think we are unlikely to cope with such a huge volume). But first of all we need to cooperate with these regions," he said, referring to the Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov, who attended the meeting.

According to Lukashenko, "the responsibility was that everything that was not in Leningrad and the region, especially in Kaliningrad, we had to produce and deliver."

"We need to set our cooperation with St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region as an example. In general, this should be a model of our cooperation. Thank God that it was possible to do this under your leadership of the city. We are moving in this direction. Only you are more open about what we are not doing well somewhere there. We will respond to this very quickly. This is very important for us… You know our capabilities very well. Be sure that we will do everything we promised. And in the field of mechanical engineering, elevator repair, food. Everything that Leningrad needs and we can, we must do it. I am very glad that the President of Russia perceives such a formula that we should closely cooperate in this plan. Vorobyov was there recently (a meeting with the governor of the Moscow Region, Andrei Vorobyov, in June 2026. — EADaily). I see that he has a very good attitude towards our cooperation. But I do not forget that we have neighbors — Bryansk, Smolensk, Pskov. They are from God. And if we can help in some way, we will help," the Belarusian leader said.

He also spoke about his instructions to put issues under control if these Russian regions need this or that kind of assistance.

"With fuel, other issues, security. If you need our help, we openly talk about it, we will help. There are no strangers there. Everything is mixed up there," Lukashenko stressed.

In this regard, he recalled how, at a recent meeting with the governor of the Bryansk region, he jokingly said: "We still need to figure out whose Bryansk region is."

"Then they started to twist that I almost demand the Bryansk region from Boris V. (Boris Gryzlov. — EADaily) give it away. No, I don't have that at all. It is not yet known what will happen to these different borders in the near future, in a few years. Maybe people won't recognize them at all, they will move freely in the world. God grant that it will be so, the Lord will help. Therefore, I don't have such a fixation on the fact that someone's land is there. Where people live, let them live. Do not interfere. Our human life will lead us to the right place. Therefore, I understand that in Bryansk, Smolensk and Pskov (they are not strangers to you either — they are also your neighbors) — these are our people. We are always open to them. Just the doors are wide open, and we must definitely support and help them," said the President of Belarus.

Alexander Lukashenko also noted that Belarus has a practice of appointing officials responsible for developing cooperation with a particular region or state. And the head of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Krutoy is responsible for the Russian direction in this sense, who also attended the meeting and agrees with the opinion that cooperation between Belarus and St. Petersburg can be considered exemplary and set as an example.

The Belarusian leader drew attention to the fact that such close cooperation is based on historical ties, among other things.

"Both of them experienced very tragic events, suffered significantly during the Great Patriotic War. And after graduation, many from Leningrad came to Belarus, stayed here to live. This is especially true of representatives of the scientific community, who subsequently helped in the creation and establishment of national scientific schools.… Our people are literate and smart. I always tell the president of Russia: if Belarusians look very, very similar to someone, it's Leningraders. They are generally the same people," Lukashenko said.

He also spoke about the program of Alexander Beglov's visit to Belarus, one of the points of which is a visit to the Brest Fortress. Lukashenko stressed the special importance of both the place itself and its visit.

"To kneel, as we say, to honor the memory of the heroes of the Brest Fortress is very important. This is significant, Boris V., for our Ukrainian friends and comrades. Sooner or later, people will understand what they can lose and what they lose on Ukraine, but this example is the Brest Fortress — everyone fought there. Most of all there were Russian people, Belarusians, Ukrainians there were and even people from Central Asia fought… Such an element of your trip is very important for the present and the future," Lukashenko stressed.

It should be recalled that trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and the Russian regions is of great importance. The volume of mutual trade between the republic and St. Petersburg in 2025 reached almost $ 2.7 billion, which is the highest figure since 2021. In January — August of this year, the trade turnover has already exceeded $ 1.8 billion, which is 10% more than in the same period last year.