Golovchenko: Belarus-Iran co-operation boasts dynamic development
Belarus’ Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko has met today with Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber
At the beginning of their narrow-format meeting, the Head of the Belarusian Government thanked for the invitation to visit the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was implemented in the shortest possible time. Mr. Golovchenko noted that the topic of Western sanctions policy – touched upon by Mr. Mokhber – is a matter of concern for the both states, since such pressure is akin to economic terrorism. “Actually, we are here now for a different reason. We – Belarus and Iran – have been successfully co-operating over the past decades, and our political, economic, humanitarian, and parliamentary relations have never stopped,” he said.
During the negotiations in an expanded format, Belarus’ Prime Minister stressed, “Today's meeting is a very important page in the history of Belarusian-Iranian relations. The interaction of our countries is characterised by a high level of mutual understanding and high dynamics of development in almost all spheres. This is happening not because of the illegitimate sanctions, but in spite of them. The tone of our interaction is set by our leaders: the presidents of Iran and Belarus. Their regular meetings and iron will give the necessary impetus to constructive dialogue at all levels.”
Mr. Golovchenko noted with satisfaction that Belarusian-Iranian relations are truly flourishing this year, “Even in the most difficult times, we never ceased our active dialogue. Meanwhile, it is very important these days to jointly cope with the challenges that the collective West poses to us.”
Belarus-Iran trade and economic co-operation has been developing dynamically, and it has a serious potential: from January-September 2022, the bilateral turnover rose to reach $63.6m (a 2.9-fold increase against the same period in 2021). Exports stood at $48.6m (a 4.4-fold increase) and imports made $15m (growing by 41.8 percent). The balance was positive: $33.6m.
