“I hope you will not be disappointed with your visit. We have a lot of issues to discuss. I hope our conversation will yield good practical results,” the head of state said welcoming the Iranian guest. “You know the situation in Belarus. It is about the same your country has. The pressure exerted on our states is unprecedented, but you have already learned to resist it to some extent, and your experience is valuable for us. What I am constantly surprised by is that during these large-scale actions Iran has not decreased the level of its development, but, on the contrary, has significantly increased it.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko paid an official visit to Iran in March 2023. Then the two presidents agreed to work out a plan of action for the foreseeable future so that trade between the two countries and cooperation in general could develop more successfully. Following the talks, Aleksandr Lukashenko and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi signed a roadmap of comprehensive cooperation between the two countries for 2023-2026.
“Based on the experience of relations with Iran, on many years of cooperation with Iran, I can conclude that your and our government bodies need to learn to work faster. If we have agreed on something, it must be implemented on time. The most important thing for us is time, not sanctions and pressure. We should not lose time because of red tape,” the Belarusian leader said.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the situation in the world is aggravating, and with the crisis in the Middle East unfriendly Western countries, led by the United States, are constantly directing the spearhead of this conflict against Iran. “You can feel it better. Our answer is as follows: we must cooperate more closely with each other in order to be able to counter these attacks,” the president said.
In 2022, Belarus-Iran trade exceeded $100 million, three times up year-on-year. The dynamics keep positive this year as well. In January-August 2023 the mutual trade reached $62.5 million, up 26% over the previous year. Belarusian exports grow every year. Belarus supplies to Iran its potash fertilizers, timber, pulp, and synthetic fibers. Belarus imports Iranian vegetables, fruits and nuts, vaccines, blood and blood serums.
Written by belta.by
