News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 9 April (BelTA) – Belarus is ready to enhance trade, economic, military and technical cooperation with Iraq, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq Ibrahim Al Jaafari on 9 April, BelTA has learned.

The head of state noted that Belarus-Iraq cooperation has a long history. “We have always respected the friendly people of Iraq and have been concerned about the events happening in your country. You must be sure that we have been and will always be friends,” the Belarusian President said.

As far as current relations between Belarus and Iraq are concerned, the sides have studied the prospects of developing ties in the future, Alexander Lukashenko said.

“One thing is clear – we must advance our cooperation to a new level. It is essential to build a true foundation for our relations. Our interaction can rely on trade, economic, military and technical cooperation. We are ready to promote relations in these fields,” the head of state said.

Education cooperation is promising avenue of cooperation. Iraqi students study in Belarus. It is possible to expand cooperation in this area.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, two or three concrete projects are needed to develop trade and economic relations between Belarus and Iraq.

The Belarusian head of state also spoke about stability in Iraq. “Stability in Iraq is our paramount concern. We would like Iraqi people to live in a stable state. People should realize that they live in a truly rich country and that this wealth is the legacy of the Iraqi nation,” Alexander Lukashenko remarked.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, in turn, conveyed the best greetings from the leadership of the country. He noted that Belarus and the city of Minsk also survived wars in their long history. The head of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs touched upon the instability in the world and in the region and spoke about Iraq’s flight against terrorism.