President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko invites Georgia to rejoin the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Belarusian head of state made the relevant statement at the meeting with members of the Club of editors-in-chief of the CIS states, Baltic States, and Georgia on 11 December, BelTA has learned.
"Belarus will take over the presidency over the CIS on 1 January. We are expecting you," Alexander Lukashenko told a reporter from Georgia. "As the first step I will ask you to rejoin the CIS. You will lose nothing from it. And Russia will be the first country to say yes. You have to go back. And then we will find solutions to all problems, if, of course, Georgian politicians desire it".
Speaking about Belarus-Georgia relations, Alexander Lukashenko remarked that they have always been good. "I hope that [Georgia Prime Minister] Ivanishvili shows the same attitude to Belarus that Mikheil Saakashvili did," remarked the Belarusian head of state.
"He always defended us and supported us. In the Eastern Partnership Initiative, in the UN, before America he [Mikheil Saakashvili] was the first one to sacrifice himself for Belarus. It is an indisputable fact," said the President. "I would be ashamed of getting offended by Georgia and Georgians," said Alexander Lukashenko.
"I know the attitude of the Georgians towards Belarus. May everyone treat us as well as the Georgians treat the Belarusians or as the Belarusians treat you. No Georgian here can say he or she feels bad here just like representatives of other nationalities cannot," remarked the President.
