Belarus President receives credentials of foreign ambassadors

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko received credentials of six ambassadors during the ceremony at the Palace of Independence on 13 May.

The head of state received credentials of ambassadors of Iraq, Nicaragua, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, and Sierra Leone.

Welcoming the diplomats, the head of state said that the reception was organized immediately after Victory Day, the country’s most sacred date, and ahead of the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. “That was the bloodiest massacre in the history of mankind, which brought immeasurable sufferings to all the peoples of the Soviet Union,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The President emphasized that every third resident of Belarus, mostly civilians, died in the war. “In fact, it was a deliberate, cruel and inhumane extermination of the people, a true genocide. We remember it and every May we honor the heroes and mourn the millions of innocent victims,” he said.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the situation in the world is far from being calm today. The struggle for geopolitical influence and redistribution of spheres of interest in the economy has been aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic, which has further exacerbated the contradictions.

“We cannot ignore it, and neither can you. I will never be tired of repeating that only the Belarusian people have the right to decide what their future should be,” stressed the President.

The President recalled that the Belarusian People’s Congress was held in Minsk in February. It was attended by more than 2,500 delegates - representatives of all segments of society, people of different professions and political views. “The decisions of this representative forum have unambiguously confirmed the support of the policy to develop a welfare state with a high-tech economy. The congress also demonstrated that the society, at least part of our society, wants certain changes, including those in social and political life,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The head of state said that Belarusians supported the process of the constitutional reform, which, according to him, is open and is widely discussed. “Although not everybody abroad likes this. Even in such difficult conditions Belarus remains committed to constructive engagement in the international arena. We are always ready for dialogue, but a respectful, honest and equal one,” the President said.

“I hope that you will offer interesting ideas for the further expansion of cooperation, and share with us the positive experience of your countries,” the Belarusian leader added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko traditionally spoke about the prospects of cooperation with these states.

On Russia

The President remarked that Belarus is connected by the longstanding and strategic relations with brotherly and friendly Russia.

“Our countries maintain close and solid ties in all avenues,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. He recalled that Russia accounted for nearly a half of Belarus’ foreign trade. “The dialogue on the enhancement of integration aimed at the creation of equal conditions for economic operators and the more efficient use of new cooperation opportunities is in full swing,” the head of state said. “I believe that Belarus and Russia have big reserves in virtually all fields. This is a good platform for the future.”

“We hope that our relations with the Russian Federation will not disturb anybody,” the President continued. He emphasized that Belarus and Russia are not building their relations against anybody. “But if someone dares to challenge us – either Russia or Belarus, or both Russia and Belarus – you know that we will respond,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

“We have always found mutually beneficial solutions. I am convinced that we will continue doing it now and in the future,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

On Iraq

According to the President, Belarus views Iraq as a promising political, trade and economic partner in the Middle East. “Frankly speaking, our relations can be much better. We have big untapped reserves. Our people have the long history of friendly ties. We are ready to develop cooperation in machine building, agriculture, pharmaceutics, and education,” the head of state said. In his words, regular flights between the capital cities of Belarus and Iraq create favorable conditions for the development of tourism, humanitarian contacts, and joint business projects.

On Nicaragua

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus is committed to the expansion of ties with Latin American countries, including its longstanding friend and ally Nicaragua. “In recent years the interaction between Minsk and Managua has been increasingly vibrant, especially in the political dimension. We would like this political cooperation to ensure the economic boost,” the President remarked. “We appreciate the support that your country provides to us on the international arena. You can also count on our support,” the President assured.

On Saudi Arabia

Aleksandr Lukashenko reaffirmed Belarus’ readiness to intensify the bilateral political dialogue with one of the leaders of the Arab world – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – in the near future.

“Minsk is interested in the development of trade cooperation with Riyadh. We have discussed it many times at different levels. Our countries have complimentary economies, and that makes us promising partners,” the head of state stressed.

On Sierra Leone

Addressing the ambassador of Sierra Leone, the Belarusian President mentioned the readiness to build efficient long-term relations with this country. “In Belarus you will have a big choice of products, including a wide range of special equipment. We invite you to pay more attention to cooperation in the agricultural industry – from the delivery of products to sharing experience in cultivation and personnel training,” the Belarusian leader said.

On Rwanda

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus and Rwanda have a big potential for coopetition in trade, manufacturing, agriculture, education, and tourism. “It is essential to speed up the development of the necessary legal framework. We are prepared for it. We can discuss the supplies of Belarusian equipment, which has been quite popular in the majority of African states and is used efficiently in countries neighboring Rwanda,” the President said. In his words, there are also good prospects for joint mining projects, infrastructure projects, cooperation in medicine and personnel training.

In conclusion, the head of state congratulated the ambassadors on the beginning of their diplomatic mission in Belarus and noted that their arrival in Minsk proves that Belarus has friends in all continents. “I strongly hope that all of you will do your best to enrich our cooperation with new prominent achievements. I also hope that you will fall in love with our country as soon as you learn more about it,” the President said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko assured that Belarus is open for joint work on the equal and mutually beneficial basis in the spirit of friendship and respect. “I sincerely wish you every success in your responsible diplomatic mission. I wish you interesting and productive work in the best interests of our countries and nations,” the Belarusian leader concluded.