MINSK, 6 October (BelTA) – There are plans to make the conference of honorary consuls of the Republic of Belarus a traditional event, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The first conference of the honorary consuls of Belarus was held in Minsk on 3-6 October.
According to the press service, the central event of the forum was the meeting of the honorary consuls with Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov who updated them on the social and economic development of Belarus, the main areas of the national economic policy, the trade, economic and investment cooperation with foreign states.
At the closing of the conference Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei summarized the results of the conference, emphasizing the mutual benefits from the open communication between the participants of the event and their direct familiarization with Belarus.
The minister of foreign affairs focused on the foreign policy and foreign economic strategy of the country, stressing the unique role that the honorary consuls play in promoting national interests of Belarus and protecting the rights of citizens in the international arena. The minister cited examples of the support provided by the honorary consul in Ukraine to Belarusian citizens injured in an accident and the assistance of the honorary consul in Sudan in organizing a high-level visit to this African country.
The participants of the conference noted the importance of the forum as a unique platform to exchange experience and coordinate the activities of honorary consuls representing the interests of Belarus in different countries and regions of the world. "The meetings of the format might become traditional," the press service noted.
Taking part in the conference were representatives of 45 countries. The forum discussed promising areas of work of honorary consuls, first of all, in foreign trade and the attraction of foreign investment. Meetings were held with representatives of ministries and agencies. The foreign guests visited the Chinese-Belarusian industrial park Great Stone, OAO BelAZ, the Agrokombinat Dzerzhinsky. The honorary consuls were also taken on a tour round the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, the Mound of Glory Memorial, the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, and the Belarusian state circus.
