Meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Minsk on 15 December.

The head of state started the meeting by thanking Abbas Araghchi for visiting Belarus at this challenging time when the international situation remains tense. “Presumably it is because Belarus is one of the closest, friendliest countries for your nation,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The President noted that such visits typically serve to sum up results and outline working plans for the future, both short-term and long-term. In this regard, the visit of Iran’s minister of foreign affairs to Belarus is no exception. The two countries are already implementing a roadmap for comprehensive cooperation for 2023-2026, and it is necessary to jointly plan the further development of relations.

“I think you will agree that essentially, we have no issues in the political and diplomatic relations between our two countries. However, I believe you will also agree that the foundation of everything is the economy, trade and economic relations between Belarus and Iran. In this regard, we can do a great deal together, to put it mildly,” the Belarusian leader believes.

“For us, the top priority is the economy. Therefore, I propose we not only discuss trade and economic relations with such a vast country as Iran. We can do much for Iran, as we have certain capabilities and interest. Perhaps we can also define some areas for that roadmap, for the plan that will be prepared for the near future,” the head of state said.

Recalling his visits, negotiations, and agreements with Iran, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized Belarus’ reliability and commitment as a business partner. “I have not found a single instance where we, the Belarusians, failed to fulfill any of the agreement points. This is our fundamental position, we always adhere to it in agreements with other countries: to fulfill what we have promised without fail,” the President stated.

The Belarusian head of state also extended his most sincere greetings and best wishes to Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei and President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian.

In turn, the head of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed cordial greetings from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, and extended congratulations to Aleksandr Lukashenko and the Belarusian people on the upcoming Christmas and New Year.

“You were right to note that our relations are truly friendly, with no obstacles or issues. The core of our interaction is economic cooperation, which is developing daily. Your visit to Tehran and the visit of Iran’s President Mr Pezeshkian to Minsk were truly key milestones in the development of bilateral cooperation,” Abbas Araghchi stated.

He also noted that the parties had recently held another productive meeting of the intergovernmental commission, and the Belarusian industry minister visited Tehran. “It was a very productive meeting of the commission. We are very pleased with substantive, good agreements that have been reached. I am here today to further work through all these matters,” the Iranian minister of foreign affairs said.