Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev called a joke the invitation of self-proclaimed Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko to join the Union State of Russia and Belarus in order to gain access to nuclear weapons. This was reported by “Radio Azattyk”.
“I appreciated his joke. I think there is no need for that, because there are other integration associations, first of all, the Eurasian Economic Union. As for nuclear weapons, we don’t need them”, – Tokayev said.
Lukashenko voiced his invitation in the air of “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin”. The Belarusian leader addressed Tokayev in response to the Kazakh leader’s speech at the Eurasian Economic Forum in Moscow. The Kazakh president drew attention to the differences in approaches to integration between Russia and Belarus and the rest of the EAEU members. Tokayev noted that the union state of Belarus and Russia provides for integration according to the formula “two countries – one state”. “I’m sorry, even nuclear weapons are one for two now”, – Tokayev said, noting that there is another level of integration represented by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.
Presidential spokesman Ruslan Zheldibay, commenting on Tokayev’s words, explained that “Kazakhstan does not intend to create or join any union states”.
