MINSK, 23 May (BelTA) – Belarus and France have discussed the ways to activate economic and political dialogue, BelTA learned from the Belarusian embassy in Paris.
These issues and a number of others were discussed during a visit of Belarus' Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleg Kravchenko to France on 20-22 May. The Belarusian representative held a number of meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. Oleg Kravchenko discussed economic cooperation with French Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. Special attention was attached to the implementation of the protocol of the third meeting of the joint economic commission where Oleg Kravchenko and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne serve as co-chairs (the meeting took place in Minsk on 26 October). The parties also talked over the implementation of investment projects in Belarus with the participation of French companies and prospects of expanding contacts between businessmen of the two countries. Oleg Kravchenko and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne exchanged opinions on international policy and regional security.
The meeting with Eric Danon, Deputy Director General for Political Affairs and Security at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focused on the prospects of multilateral cooperation, Belarus' interaction with the European Union, including the Eastern Partnership, and also international and regional security.
Bilateral cooperation was discussed in detail at the Belarusian-French political consultations. Oleg Kravchenko and Deputy Director for Continental Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France Nicolas de Lacoste agreed on steps to intensify the political, cultural and education dialogue.
Oleg Kravchenko held a joint meeting with the delegations of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Germany and France to consider the prospects for trilateral cooperation, Belarus-EU dialogue, the current situation in the region, and the most important issues on the international agenda. The French delegation was led by Nicolas de Lacoste, the German one – by Director for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia of the Federal Foreign Office Michael Siebert.
Oleg Kravchenko also met with France's Director-General for International Relations and Strategy at the Ministry for the Armed Forces Alice Guitton to discuss Belarus-France cooperation in international security.
The French Institute of International Relations hosted an analytical event on Belarus. The institute is one of the world's leading independent centers of research and public debate in international issues and global management. At the seminar, Oleg Kravchenko provided detailed information about Belarus, its foreign and domestic policy priorities, including amid the ongoing geopolitical processes, and also the role of Belarus in strengthening regional security.
Attending the event were representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and the parliament of France, analysts, experts and businessmen, representatives of France's leading mass media outlets.
The situation in the European region and international relations of Belarus with the leading partners were discussed at the meeting of the Belarusian deputy minister of foreign affairs with Director of the French Institute of International Relations Thomas Gomart.
Photos by Belarus' Embassy in Paris
