MINSK, 5 October (BelTA) – An official welcome ceremony for Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro is taking place at the Palace of Independence in Minsk, BelTA has learned.
The Venezuelan guest was welcomed by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko at the entrance to the Palace of Independence. Then ceremony of official welcome including the national anthems of the two countries began.
The heads of state will have a one-on-one meeting and an extended meeting with the members of the delegations. The parties will discuss a wide range of issues of the trade and economic cooperation, including the implementation of bilateral projects, the operation of joint assembly enterprises, the development of interaction in agriculture, construction, oil and gas industry, and other sectors.
Diplomatic relations between Belarus and Venezuela were established in 1997. The countries have exchanged several top-level visits. The legal framework of bilateral cooperation includes 21 interstate and intergovernmental agreements and 11 international agreements of the interagency nature.
Four joint ventures for the assembly of MAZ freight vehicles, BELARUS tractors, Belarusian road construction equipment and the biggest manufacturer of ceramic blocks in Latin America were set up in Venezuela a few years ago. Since 2007, ZAO Belzarubezhstroy has been taking part in the construction of housing in Venezuela. Three contracts to build almost 20,000 apartments are implemented.
