PITTSBURGH, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, currently in the U.S. to attend the G20 summit, plans to meet with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, upon return.

"As soon as I return, I will meet with the Belarusian president. We will discuss various issues," Medvedev said in an address to students and professors at the University of Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Medvedev pledged he and Lukashenko would find solutions to a variety of bilateral issues.

"Belarus is not the younger sister to us, it is just our sister... I do not think relations have been worsening. There are issues we have been discussing openly," the Russian president said.

A four-day visit to Belarus by Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill, who is expected to arrive in Minsk on Friday, is also expected to boost bilateral ties between the two countries.

"We hope His Holiness' visit to Belarus will strengthen traditional fraternal relations between our countries," Vladimir Legoida, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church, said.

Kirill and Lukashenko will meet later on Friday.