Georgia, Belarus enter new period of cooperation
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Georgia on a two-day official visit for the first time in his tenure on April 23. Meetings with a number of Georgian officials to discuss certain cooperation issues are high on his agenda.
Assessing Belarus-Georgia relations, Lukashenko said the two countries are able to build a solid ground for future relations based on strong trade and economic ties.
As for politics, the Belarus leader noted that there are no contradictory views between Belarus and Georgia. "I thank the Georgian leaders for supporting my country everywhere in the West," he said.
Georgian President, Giorgi Margvelashvili, in turn, hailed the good relations between the countries adding that both can build a better future for themselves. He believes that Lukashenko's visit is of great importance in terms of developing bilateral ties.
"I think, Georgia and Belarus can come as an example for other countries in many aspects of relations. We are looking towards the future in a very good and interesting way," he said.
Representatives from both countries signed several agreements on bilateral cooperation on April 23, particularly in the fields of trade and industry, science and technology on the wake of the presidents' meeting.
Following the presidential meeting, Lukashenko said Belarus was ready to share its agricultural experience with Georgia.
"My Georgian counterpart put a lot of tasks before me for bringing our experience to Georgia and I promised that we will kick off this process starting from the creation of an experienced agricultural cooperation to the elimination of food security challenges," he said.
Margvelashvili, for his turn, expressed Georgia's interest in the transfer of Belarus agricultural experience to his country where investors from Belarus can enjoy good investment opportunities.
"New unions are new chances, but not a barrier. The membership of Belarus at the Eurasian Economic Union and the realization of Georgia's Association Agreement with the European Union open new possibilities for business and investments, new potential markets," he said.
Lukashenko will depart for Batumi, the Black Sea coastal city and the capital of Georgia’s autonomous Adjara region, on April 24 to meet with Adjara’s local government members and sign a document about twinning Batumi and Brest, a Belarusian city.
The president is expected to attend a number of cultural events in Batumi following official meetings.
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