Meeting with President of CITIC Group Corporation Wang Jiong

Belarus hopes to implement new high-profile projects with the participation of China’s CITIC Group Corporation, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with CITIC Group President Wang Jiong on 20 July.

“In the near future, probably, in September I will hold top-level negotiations with my counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing. We have a broad agenda, need to coordinate and solve many issues. I must admit that we strongly hope that by this time our ministries and agencies, enterprises and holding companies will not only find topics for negotiations with your company, but will also prepare draft documents for implementing serious projects in the two countries, firs of all, in Belarus,” the Belarusian President said.

The head of state remarked that Belarus has already done a lot with the participation of CITIC Group Corporation. “Your company is one of the biggest in the world, and I am very glad that we cooperate with this company. You are aware of the strategic character of relations between the People’s Republic of China and Belarus. And the work of your company in Belarus is entwined in the fabric of these relations,” the President said.

In spite of the protocol nature of the meeting, Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested discussing a number of concrete projects, issues, and problems which, perhaps, exist between the two sides in the implementation of joint projects. “I think that we need to do it today to avoid problems and doublespeak in the future. If there are problems, we are ready to solve them very quickly,” the Belarusian leader assured.

Such partners, according to the President, create the economy, the foundation of bilateral relations, help us make progress and enhance all-round strategic partnership.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said that Chinese partners should treat Belarusian people and Belarus as a very close nation and state in spite of the big distance between the two countries. The Belarusian head of state also stressed that any joint project and product should have a high added value, minimal expenses and should rely on advanced technologies. Besides, partners should see and penetrate potential sales markers. Another emphasis was on the prompt realization of plans.

Wang Jiong, in turn, noted that all the efforts to implement projects in Belarus have been a success. CITIC Group also sees good prospects for the development of cooperation with Belarus. The company has voiced an intention to provide assistance in expanding partnership not only in a specific line of business. It will also help attract leading Chinese corporations to Belarus. Belarus is viewed as a springboard for further development of business in Europe.