MINSK, 23 July (BelTA) - Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova met with Iranian parliamentary delegation led by head of the Belarus-Iran parliamentary cooperation group at the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran Ali Asghar Bagherzadeh in Minsk on 23 July, BelTA learned .
"We sincerely welcome you and we are confident that today we will discus the most pressing issues of our cooperation," Natalya Kochanova said. "Belarus and Iran have long-standing friendly relations; our countries hold similar views on many issues. The policies pursued by both Belarus and Iran are primarily aimed at preserving sovereignty and independence, achieved largely through the wisdom of our presidents. We highly value our bilateral relations; Iran is a nation friendly to us. Both Belarus and Iran do not yield to
external pressures and sanctions, despite all difficulties."
The Speaker noted that both countries are interested in developing inter-parliamentary cooperation. "We observe that very warm, friendly relations are developing between the parliamentarians of our countries," the chairperson of the Council of the Republic said. "I would like to take this opportunity to extend greetings to our colleague Mr. Ghalibaf [Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran] and express our hope that he will travel to our country on a visit. Your current visit serves as further confirmation of active cooperation between our parliaments."
"Being the chamber of territorial representation, we are particularly interested in developing regional cooperation," Natalya Kochanova stressed. "We already have successful examples of such cooperation and I believe your visit will help us advance in this direction. We seek to enhance cooperation across all areas. As MPs, we work not only on political matters and legislation but also on trade, economic, and investment cooperation. The existing legal framework (comprising over 45 signed agreements and contracts) provides a solid foundation for our partnership. Significant potential is in place for deeper collaboration.”
Belarus and Iran support each other on the international arena. “For us, cooperation in organizations like the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Non-Aligned Movement is crucial,” Natalya Kochanova stated. “We hope to continue such close cooperation and mutual support in international forums. Now is the time when MPs must unite and vigorously defend the interests of our nations, emphasizing above all sovereignty, independence, and the ability to pursue policies benefiting our peoples. No one has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states. Therefore, we must stand up for our rights, though doing so alone is difficult. When we unite, we become a force'"
"'We are interested in developing humanitarian cooperation between our countries,' the speaker emphasized. 'We well remember when many Iranian students studied at our universities. We would like to work even more productively in this area. We sincerely hope our youth organizations and students will maintain contact and friendship, as this is the foundation of our future.'"
"'Let me thank you again for visiting our country. We are always genuinely happy to welcome our friends. You should know that here in Belarus, you have good friends. Our people have a warm regard for the Iranian nation. I am confident your visit will give new momentum to our cooperation.”
An Iranian parliamentary delegation led by head of the Belarus-Iran parliamentary cooperation group at the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran Ali Asghar Bagherzadeh arrived in Belarus on 20 July at the invitation of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus.
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