Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 4 July (BelTA) – The Czech Republic will assist Belarus in improving its ratings in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as well as its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Lubomir Zaoralek said in an interview to the Belarus One TV channel, BelTA has learned.

“The Czech Republic is ready to continue supporting Belarus in international organizations. In particular, we are interested in Belarus’ improved economic outlook ratings in the OECD. Another goal is to support Belarus in joining WTO,” noted Lubomir Zaoralek.

In his words, today a number of Czech businessmen are showing an increased interest in cooperation with Belarus. “We clearly see the areas where we can cooperate. Two weeks ago a delegation of 30 businessmen led by the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic paid a visit to Belarus. The visit was used to discuss areas of cooperation in the energy sector, including the electrification of railways, and the construction of the Minsk metro. The parties also talked over cooperation in renewable energy resources and agricultural work,” said the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking about the international agenda and the Brexit issue, Lubomir Zaoralek stated that Brexit is a complicated matter for the whole Europe, including the Czech Republic. “We regret this has happened. Now it is unclear what will be going on in Great Britain: perhaps a new vote will take place, or maybe the country will leave the European Union. We have to wait and see how the situation will unfold,” he said.