MINSK, 21 November (BelTA) – Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Evgeny Shestakov held negotiations with First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE Khalid Belhoul while in the United Arab Emirates on a visit on 21 November, the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BelTA.
Evgeny Shestakov and Khalid Belhoul spoke at length about consular affairs. The sides touched upon matters concerning fast completion of intrastate procedures for ratifying the protocol on introducing visa-free travel. They discussed the possibility of mutual recognition of driver's licenses. Mutual provision of legal aid and other matters of interest for both sides were also discussed.
Bilateral cooperation was also discussed, including results of recent top-level visits. The sides were satisfied with the development of political contacts and noted growing Belarus-UAE trade. Further steps to advance Belarus-UAE relations were sketched out, including interaction of the relevant government agencies on consular affairs.
In 2018 Belarus-UAE trade totaled $72.3 million, with Belarus' export at $58 million. In January-September 2019 Belarus-UAE trade reached $86.7 million, with Belarus' export close to $72 million.
