ISTANBUL

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday arrived in the Russian port city of St. Petersburg on a working visit.

A statement from the Belarusian presidency featured a picture of Lukashenko arriving at Pulkovo Airport, located 23 kilometers (14 miles) south of St. Petersburg. It said negotiations between Lukashenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are scheduled in various formats.

"The heads of state are set to discuss topical issues of Belarusian-Russian relations, the status of the Union State projects, regional security and the international agenda," the statement said.

Later, the Kremlin released a video showing the Belarusian president arriving at a monastery on Valaam, an island located on Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe, where he was greeted by Putin.