Source: IRNA
Pres. Lukashenko asks for increased Iranian investments in Belarus
Minsk, Dec 10, IRNA – Belarus hopes for increased Iranian investments and expanding economic cooperation with Iran, President Alexander Lukashenko said in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Belarus Abdollah Hosseini here Monday.
According to IRNA, the Belarusian president made the comment in the meeting with Ambassador Hosseini on the occasion of the Iranian diplomat's completing of his diplomatic mission in Belarus.
He added that Belorussia is ready for offering the Iranian investors beneficial fields for making investments in this country.
President Lukashenko said that despite the existence of world economic problems and the western countries' mounting pressure against Iran, the two countries' economic relations are quite satisfactory and still improving.
The Belarusian president referred to the Islamic Republic of Iran as 'the strategic partner of Belorussia' reiterating the need for both sides' greater efforts aimed at further development of bilateral ties.
The president stressed that he does not meet every ambassador who leaves the country after completing his diplomatic mission.
'I usually meet with friends,' he said. 'I do not hide it. So, I want to say that it is always sad to say goodbye to friends. I hope that the Iranian leadership will find a worthy ambassador for us to be able to develop relations with the Iranian government and people. We are very interested not only to develop our relations in the same direction, but to add something. I hope for this.'
Alexander Lukashenko conveyed his best wishes to the Iranian President and Supreme Leader.
The president has also emphasized the fact that a number of Belarusian-Iranian projects were not finalized.
Ambassador Hosseini, too, said in the meeting that the volume of Iran's investments in Belorussia reached 964 million US dollars in current December.
He expressed hope that Iran's investments in Belarus economy would reach about two billion US dollars at the end of the programmed Iranian projects in that country.
The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Belarus has an embassy in Tehran and Iran has an embassy in Minsk. The two countries have enjoyed good relations in recent years reflected in regular high level meetings and various agreements.
In July 2004, an Iran-Belarus joint economic commission meeting was held and an agreement was signed on bolstering mutual economic cooperation.
In April 2006, the two countries signed a number of economic and trade agreements.
In November 2006, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visited Tehran and signed agreements to expand bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed Belarus' support of Iran's nuclear efforts.
The strong will of the two countries' leaders for expansion of relations and cooperation and proximity of Tehran-Minsk stands at international scenes, particularly in countering the unilateralist tendencies of the West, led by the United States, have provided a good ground for full scale interactions between the two countries.