Meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi
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Belarus is gearing up for the visit of President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi on 8 April.
The head of state stressed that the sides have things to discuss in anticipation of two important events — the visit of China President Xi Jinping to Minsk and the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory over the Nazi invaders.
The President remarked that Belarus is proud of relations with China. In his opinion, the Belarusian-Chinese relations are an example of interaction in all areas. The two countries have similar stances on the international arena; Belarus and China support each other. “We are grateful to you for this position,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
Speaking about trade and economic cooperation, the head of state said it was very intensive. The figures testify to that. In 2014 Belarus-China trade in merchandise and services exceeded $4 billion. At the same time, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that there is a small problem — trade deficit. “We will discuss the issue and I think we will be able to manage the problem,” he said.
Participants of the meeting also discussed loan and investment cooperation between the two states. The head of state remarked that Belarus had utilized about $5.5 billion worth of Chinese loans. About 20 programs are being implemented thanks to Chinese loans. “We are grateful to you for that,” the head of state stressed. “We are moving away from loans to direct investments,” the President added. In his words, the implementation of the China-Belarus Industrial Park project will facilitate that.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said that Belarus supports the initiative of the Chinese leadership to build an economic belt along the Silk Way. “We support this initiative and are ready to do our best to help implement this project,” the head of state noted.
Apart from that, the President pointed out the importance of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. China will also celebrate Victory Day. Belarusian and Chinese delegations will be able to exchange visits on these festive days.
Wang Yi, in turn, conveyed warm greetings from President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister of the State Council, and other Chinese officials. "We know that you personally pay consistent attention to the further development of cooperation with China, and this is one of the main priorities of Belarus’ foreign policy. We appreciate this,” the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs said.
He drew attention to the upcoming visit of China's President to Minsk. "The purpose of my trip to Minsk is to prepare this important visit which will allow us to propel and raise our bilateral strategic partnership to a new level,” the head of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Wang Yi stressed that there is stability in Belarus. People live in peace and friendship here. The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs also praised the role of Belarus in the Minsk accords.
The head of state stressed that the sides have things to discuss in anticipation of two important events — the visit of China President Xi Jinping to Minsk and the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory over the Nazi invaders.
The President remarked that Belarus is proud of relations with China. In his opinion, the Belarusian-Chinese relations are an example of interaction in all areas. The two countries have similar stances on the international arena; Belarus and China support each other. “We are grateful to you for this position,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
Speaking about trade and economic cooperation, the head of state said it was very intensive. The figures testify to that. In 2014 Belarus-China trade in merchandise and services exceeded $4 billion. At the same time, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that there is a small problem — trade deficit. “We will discuss the issue and I think we will be able to manage the problem,” he said.
Participants of the meeting also discussed loan and investment cooperation between the two states. The head of state remarked that Belarus had utilized about $5.5 billion worth of Chinese loans. About 20 programs are being implemented thanks to Chinese loans. “We are grateful to you for that,” the head of state stressed. “We are moving away from loans to direct investments,” the President added. In his words, the implementation of the China-Belarus Industrial Park project will facilitate that.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said that Belarus supports the initiative of the Chinese leadership to build an economic belt along the Silk Way. “We support this initiative and are ready to do our best to help implement this project,” the head of state noted.
Apart from that, the President pointed out the importance of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. China will also celebrate Victory Day. Belarusian and Chinese delegations will be able to exchange visits on these festive days.
Wang Yi, in turn, conveyed warm greetings from President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister of the State Council, and other Chinese officials. "We know that you personally pay consistent attention to the further development of cooperation with China, and this is one of the main priorities of Belarus’ foreign policy. We appreciate this,” the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs said.
He drew attention to the upcoming visit of China's President to Minsk. "The purpose of my trip to Minsk is to prepare this important visit which will allow us to propel and raise our bilateral strategic partnership to a new level,” the head of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Wang Yi stressed that there is stability in Belarus. People live in peace and friendship here. The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs also praised the role of Belarus in the Minsk accords.