Kochanova: Belarus ready to co-operate with Turkiye in all areas
The Chairperson of the Council of the Republic, Natalya Kochanova, held a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkiye to the Republic of Belarus, Güçlü Cem Işık, and the parties exchanged views on topical issues on the agenda, outlined steps to strengthen inter-parliamentary and trade and economic co-operation, and also agreed to strengthen liaisons in education and tourism
“We are ready to implement all the tasks we have in our joint work and are always ready for dialogue,” Ms. Kochanova noted. “Belarus and Turkiye have been linked by good and friendly relations for many years, and this is primarily the merit of our presidents. The heads of state maintain contacts, hold meetings at various international events, and discuss issues of co-operation. Thanks to that, the relations between Belarus and Turkiye are of a strategic nature.”
Ms. Kochanova drew the Turkish diplomat’s attention to the need to intensify the inter-parliamentary dialogue. She explained that, in the modern times of unrest when the unipolar world order is transforming into a multipolar one, the MPs need to proclaim their position in a more confident manner.
“The International Conference on Eurasian Security [held in Minsk on October 31st-November 1st, 2024] confirms this directly. In his speech, the President of Belarus said that there is much injustice in this world, but justice will win anyway. Of course, peace is the paramount goal for us. On hearing that there are 56 active hotspots around the globe at the moment, we cannot but feel concerned. Turkiye, like Belarus, acted as a negotiating platform for the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. We hope the latter will be resolved soon, and people will live peacefully in this European part of the planet,” Ms. Kochanova added.
At the same time, the Speaker of the Council of the Republic noted that the economy is at the heart of bilateral co-operation. “The $1.5bn trade turnover agreed upon by the heads of state has already exceeded these figures, according to Turkish statistics. Actually, it's not about the volume, but about the interaction that exists between Belarus and Turkiye. For our part, the members of the Council of the Republic are ready to do everything possible to increase trade turnover. We are ready to assist in the opening of joint ventures and technology exchange. We know that you have good practices in the light industry, and we have invited Turkish specialists to help us organise technological processes at Kamvol [Belarus’ largest textile producer]. There are enterprises in Turkiye that work with Belarusian capital, and vice versa. This interaction needs to be continued, because any tasks could hardly be solved without the economic interaction.”
