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Lukashenko seeks to accelerate economic ties with Saudi Arabia

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MINSK, 15 June (BelTA) – Cooperation between Belarus and Saudi Arabia is progressing, but not as quickly as desired, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in an interview with the Al Arabiya TV channel, BelTA has learned.

The head of state was asked to describe the current level and prospects of cooperation with Saudi Arabia, where the channel’s headquarters is located.

The president noted that the potential for cooperation is very large, but still unrealized. The Belarusian side, he stressed, is demonstrating readiness to work together across a wide range of areas, especially given that Saudi Arabia imports many goods, including those produced in Belarus.

“Saudi Arabia is a country with enormous financial resources. But no matter how wealthy they are, you cannot produce enough food, clothing, and so on in the desert. If they invested more in Belarus and traded with us in larger volumes, they could be more successful at least in feeding and clothing their people,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

According to him, Belarus cannot yet boast significant volumes of exports of goods, services, or technologies to Saudi Arabia. But he hopes the situation will gradually change. “We recently submitted our proposals to intensify cooperation in all areas from agriculture to humanitarian matters, education, technologies, and so on. We are moving forward little by little. But I must honestly say, not as fast as we would like,” the president noted.

As examples of Middle Eastern countries with which Belarus has more advanced relations, Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, and others.

The head of state emphasized his interest in further expanding cooperation, noting that concrete steps have already been outlined and roadmaps signed. “We are ready to move in this direction,” he concluded.

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