Image source: topwar.ru
On March 12-13, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko paid an official visit to Iran for the first time in the last 17 years. This is the third visit of the Belarusian leader to Tehran. In the Iranian capital, he held a number of meetings with the leadership of the Islamic Republic, including talks with the head of State Ebrahim Raisi. Following their results, a number of documents were signed, including under the heading "for official use".
In Tehran, the visit of the Belarusian leader was called a turning point and a starting point for building deeper relations between the two countries. Lukashenko stressed that the main thing for Belarus and Iran now is not to waste time. Here are some statements that the leaders of the two countries made during the visit of the President of Belarus to the Iranian capital.
The President of Belarus, who had previously visited Tehran in 2006, stated that he had paid too little attention to cooperation between the two countries all these years and now intends to correct this gap. In turn, the Iranian President noted in his welcoming speech that the Belarusian-Iranian relations over the past two years have demonstrated a significant breakthrough. Thus, by the end of 2022, the trade turnover of the two countries reached $ 100 million, which is three times more than the level of trade in 2021.
Lukashenko drew attention to the fact that Iran and Belarus are under unprecedented sanctions pressure from the West. At the same time, over decades of economic and political blockade, Tehran has managed to preserve and successfully develop its industrial potential, including modern technologies and nuclear energy.
— stated the Belarusian leader.
Lukashenko expressed confidence that as a result of his current visit, both countries will enter a new stage of cooperation. He stressed that Minsk and Tehran, by joining forces, will be able to make this cooperation as effective and mutually beneficial as possible. Speaking about the sanctions pressure, the President of Belarus said that Western restrictions on the two states are a time of new opportunities.
The Belarusian president praised Iran's efforts to build a railway as part of the development of the North-South international transport corridor. He stressed that for Minsk, the creation of an overpass is important not only in terms of improving export-import logistics between the two countries, but also for the transit of goods to other states.
After the leaders of the two countries visited the exhibition of leading medical and scientific-innovative manufacturers of Iran, Lukashenko said that he considers it necessary to develop cooperation between Iran and Belarus in the production of medical goods and other high-tech products. Including through the creation of joint ventures in Belarus.
During the President's meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the latter called on the countries under Western sanctions to take collective measures to neutralize the restrictions imposed.
Following the talks in Tehran, Alexander Lukashenko and Ebrahim Raisi signed a roadmap for comprehensive cooperation between Belarus and Iran for 2023-2026. The development of this agreement was initiated following a meeting of the presidents on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tajikistan in 2021. According to Lukashenko, the document will not be made public, so that the West "does not put sticks in our wheels."
