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Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko http://image.tsn.ua Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said that the development of Ukrainian-Belarusian relations is not aimed against anyone and that Kyiv and Minsk share the same view on many issues.

"Our cooperation is not directed against anyone. Have you noticed that our relations have started causing some alarm? I believe, those who think so are wrong," Lukashenko said at a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko in Minsk on Monday.

Lukashenko said he is ready to discuss all the issues that are of interest to the two states. Kyiv and Minsk have many interests in common, he said.

The Belarusian president praised his relations with Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko. "One cannot deny he [Yuschenko] is sincere and honest," Lukashenko said.

However, the strategic relations between Ukraine and Belarus should be given concrete substance, the president said.

"We have some good guidelines for the solution of strategic issues. But we lack concrete substance. We understand the reasons for this, this is what the Ukrainian president is speaking about, but this can be overcome," Lukashenko said.

While speaking about the upcoming presidential elections, the Belarusian president said: "Elections and other campaigns will come and go, but we will have to be working anyway."

"It is very important that we shouldn't slow down our relations, so strategic issues should not be abandoned," Lukashenko concluded.