Meeting with Chairman of Council of Ministers of Togo Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Togo Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek.

“We had a thorough discussion on the main areas of our cooperation. But I think it wouldn’t be a amiss to officially discuss some issues of bilateral interaction,” the Belarusian leader said.

"No topic is off limits. You are truly good friends to us, and I believe that is already the case today, not merely at some point in the future. I invite you to more active cooperation with our high-tech country,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

“I know you are interested in high technology, medicine, maternal and child health, and healthcare, and in cooperation in these sectors. We are ready for this,” he emphasized. “We are also looking forward to broader cooperation within the framework of banking systems and in education.”

The President also suggested that the chairman of the Council of Ministers take a closer look at Belarusian machinery, particularly heavy-duty vehicles: “Our country has a strong machine-building industry, and we are ready to share our experience with you.”

Belarus purchases cocoa beans from Togo. Given that Belarus has a well-developed industry that uses this raw material, Aleksandr Lukashenko expressed readiness for larger-scale purchases.

Furthermore, the head of state proposed Togo to organize a business forum in Belarus “so that your specialists and businesspeople could come to Belarus for a few days, study and see our economy first and foremost, and draw their own conclusions.”

He expressed confidence that such an event would help shape a roadmap for Belarus and Togo for the future. “During your visit to us or my visit to Togo, we could approve such a roadmap,” the President said.

For Belarus, Togo is another anchor country on the African continent. Relying on friendly relations with it, Belarus can move further in developing trade and economic cooperation in the West African region and use joint opportunities to that end. In this regard, the Belarusian head of state outlined a number of areas in which Belarus and Togo could develop cooperation.

In response, the Togolese side proposed holding a larger-scale business forum, inviting representatives from other African countries as well.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also thanked the chairman of the Council of Ministers of Togo for organizing the visit of Belarus’ minister of foreign affairs to that country and invited Togo’s foreign minister to Minsk for a return visit.