Opening of Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko took part in the opening of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on 14 May.

The large-scale summit opened at the Chinese National Convention Center on 14 May. The forum brought together delegations from about 130 countries, including 29 heads of state.

Belarus was one of the first countries to support the initiative of the Chinese government to implement the project. The country is involved in two out of for key routes of the new land Silk Road, Belarus is a link between the East and the West.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the forum. The sides exchanged opinions about the current state of affairs and prospects of the Belarusian-Pakistani cooperation.

“Thank you for remembering the nuances and details of our meeting in Minsk. If it's God's will, we will meet again at the beginning of August in Minsk. We are waiting for you. I would like you to spend more time in Belarus, to familiarize yourself with our manufacturing potential, major avenues of our cooperation, to see the beauty of this country in the center of Europe,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

“We will discuss a lot of things during your visit,” the president remarked.

The head of state hopes that Nawaz Sharif will visit Belarus together with his family.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, in turn, stressed that he was glad to meet with Aleksandr Lukashenko once again, and added that he had warmest memories of his latest visit to the Belarusian capital city. “Over a very short period of time we managed to advance the relations of Belarus and Pakistan to a very high level. Of course, we could do it thanks to our personal relations. You are the foundation of these relations, and we can be by right proud of it,” he said.

The two leaders agreed that the regular exchange of top-level and high-level visits will help make a breakthrough in bilateral relations. They are convinced that solid political ties will give an impetus to the dynamic development of the economic cooperation.

The meeting also focused on the development of industrial cooperation, existing projects and prospects for setting up joint ventures in Pakistan. Belarus urges to step up efforts in this field. Another issue on the agenda was the export of Belarusian products to the Pakistani market where they are very popular.

The sides also mentioned the enhancement of parliamentary interaction and agreed to continue developing it in a more efficient way. They also praised the work of Pakistan-Belarus groups of friendship which serve as important links in the establishment of contacts between people.

On 14 May Aleksandr Lukashenko also took part in the official reception of behalf of China President Xi Jinping. The event was held in the Great Hall of the People in the center of Beijing. This facility is one of the main administrative buildings in the Chinese capital city.

Then the Belarusian leader attended a gala concert at the NationalCenter for the Performing Arts.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will continue on 15 May. The President is expected to take part in round table sessions of the heads of state partaking in the summit.