Ghalibaf stresses need for stepped-up Iran-Belarus relations

Mohammad Bagheri Ghalibaf held a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus and his accompanying delegation on Monday evening during which he stressed that the visit of the Belarusian delegation could be a turning point in the bilateral ties between the two nations.

The speaker said that the new developments in the international relations stress the need for more cooperation between states that oppose US unilateralism, adding that both nations are under the western sanctions as well, therefore they need to work together more than before.

He also called for stepped-up economic relations along with the political ties, saying ” We must develop economic, monetary and financial relations and relations in the field of transportation, especially in connection with Eurasia, as well as preferential cooperation in the field of exchanges and facilitating relations between merchants and transportation, and establishing relations between intellectuals in different fields to such an extent that the level of bilateral trade would increase from the current one hundred million dollar to several billion dollars and this potential exists in both countries.”

Ghalibaf further considered it as necessary to develop the relations between the parliaments of the two countries.

Lukashenko, for his part, stated that “today we have realized the necessity that we have to reach agreements that can be implemented,” adding “the volume of bilateral exchanges has increased 3 times more than before today, including the development of economic and commercial cooperation.  This lays the ground for the development of any other relationship, although the volume of transactions of one hundred million dollars is almost nothing.”

The Belarusian president said that with the implementation of the agreements he signed with the Iranian president earlier today, the level of ties will increase.

He added that Belarus sees no limits for expanding ties with Tehran, declaring that when he has arrived back home, he would follow up on expanding banking ties with Iran like the ties Tehran has recently established with Moscow.

He also stressed the need for closer cooperation among the sanctioned countries.

MNA/FNA14011222001055