Events

MINSK, 4 January (BelTA) – The Belarus-Ukraine political dialogue intensified significantly in 2017, reads the Annual Review of Foreign Policy of the Republic of Belarus and Activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2017, BelTA has learned.

“The exchange of official visits at the highest level (26 April, 20-21 July) ensured the maintenance of constructive nature of bilateral ties, progressive development of trade and economic relations and interregional cooperation. Taking into account the difficult situation in the east of Ukraine, Belarus provided humanitarian assistance to the people living on both sides of the contact line,” the review said.

Interaction with Kazakhstan was marked by intensive contacts between the heads of state, government and parliaments. The interstate treaty on social and economic cooperation up to 2026, which was signed during the official visit of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Belarus (29 November), is aimed at raising the bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level implying the mutual penetration of capital with a focus on innovations and high technology.

On 8-9 June, during the SCO Summit, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko took part in the opening ceremony of the international specialized exhibition EXPO 2017 in Astana. Expo 2017 in Astana featured a multi-sectoral exhibition "Made in Belarus. Astana” and the Belarusian-Kazakhstan Business Forum, the opening of which was attended by Belarus Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov.

The Belarusian-Turkmen cooperation was productive. The Garlyk mining and processing factory, the largest project implemented by Belarus abroad, was launched during the official visit of the Belarusian president to Turkmenistan (29-31 March).

High dynamics of the Belarusian-Moldovan dialogue was facilitated by the visits of the Moldova president (12-14 July) and prime minister (6-7 June) to Belarus, their bilateral meeting with the Belarusian head of state during international events.

The growing Belarusian-Georgian cooperation was reinforced by the official visits of the Georgia president (1-2 March), the Speaker of Parliament (20-22 November) and the head of the Foreign Ministry (4-5 September) to Belarus, and the first Days of Belarusian Culture in Georgia (15-17 November).

The dynamics of the Belarus-Uzbek partnership improved markedly. Active dialogue at the highest and high levels contributed to the growing scope of cooperation, implementation of the projects in the field of industrial cooperation. The decision by the leadership of Uzbekistan to open the embassy in Minsk confirmed the country’s interest in developing full-fledged bilateral cooperation.

The visit of Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon to Belarus (1 December) and the opening of the first assembly facility of Belarusian machinery in that country became the important steps in the development of Belarusian-Tajik relations.

The review also noted that the Belarusian-Azerbaijani partnership was developing constructively. Fruitful high-level dialogue with Armenia and Kyrgyzstan was maintained within the framework of the integration associations.

Eight meetings of the intergovernmental commissions with countries in the region took place last year. Five of them were held with the participation of a deputy prime minister of Belarus.