SOCHI, 14 February (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is taking part in an informal meeting with the presidents of Russia, Iran, and Turkey, BelTA has learned.
The meeting is taking place in the shape of a tea party in the Rus Sanatorium. Prior to that Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Hassan Rouhani had held another trilateral summit to discuss Syrian affairs. Russia, Iran, and Turkey are the countries standing as guarantors of the Astana process for resolving the conflict in Syria.
Plans to arrange a meeting involving the four presidents were revealed the day before. The Belarusian head of state's working visit to Russia coincided with the summit. It offered a good opportunity to discuss pressing issues on the international agenda in a broader format. All the more so because Belarus maintains long-term friendly relations in politics, trade, economy, and humanitarian affairs not only with Russia but also with Turkey, and Iran. With its peacemaking venue status Belarus has always been forthright about the need to resolve local conflicts as fast as possible and counteract terrorism.
The day before Alexander Lukashenko met with Vladimir Putin in Krasnaya Polyana. Members of the Belarusian and Russian governments also took part in that meeting. Apart from the official meeting the two heads of state spent a lot of time socializing informally, including by skiing down the mountain slopes together. The two leaders reaffirmed their adherence to the allied relations and expressed confidence that emerging problems will be resolved. Trade and economic cooperation were mentioned as well as interaction in energy industry and finance. The sides also compared notes about international affairs.
The presidents of Belarus and Russia will have an opportunity to discuss humanitarian affairs, too. A meeting involving the relevant ministers is scheduled to take place in Sochi on 15 February as part of the trip to the Center for Gifted Education Sirius.
