Lukashenko reaffirms interest in deeper cooperation with Georgia
By Kamila Aliyeva
Belarus and Georgia have confirmed their interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili stated on this intention in statement adopted on the results of the negotiations, BelTA reported.
The parties confirmed their mutual interest in strengthening their countries' bilateral cooperation at all levels and in all spheres of mutual interest.
The document says that Belarus and Georgia intend to continue intensive inter-state dialogue aimed at comprehensively strengthening friendly relations.
The Heads of State noted with satisfaction the positive dynamics in relations and stressed the importance of strengthening the humanitarian cooperation, cooperation in the sphere of science and education.
President Lukashenko stressed that within a comparatively short period of time of his visit to Georgia their interstate relations have reached a new level.
“Their development is now systemic and task-oriented, while everything we have agreed on is being successfully fulfilled,” he said.
Lukashenko also pointed out that close economic cooperation is the engine that drives mutually beneficial partnership.
“During the meeting in Tbilisi we agreed to raise the mutual trade turnover to $200 million in the future,” he said adding that the mutual trade turnover was close to $100 million in 2016 which is a record high figure in the last five years.
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, in his turn, stressed that Georgia has supported and will support Belarus in the international arena.
“We believe that your role should be further strengthened,” Margvelashvili said.
The two countries also signed agreements on air traffic and on promotion and mutual protection of investments.
The official talks between presidents took place at the Palace of Independence in Minsk on March 1, 2017.
Belarus and Georgia intend to boost bilateral trade in the coming years. In 2016 the trade exceeded $73.2 million, up 63.4 percent from 2015.
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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
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