MINSK, 12 February (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has invited his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun to pay a visit to Belarus. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov has handed the message from the Belarusian head of state to the president of Lebanon, BelTA has learned.
The message includes congratulations to the president of Lebanon on his election, and also a proposal to develop deeper relations in a number of areas, the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs told the media.
“Our president has invited him [Joseph Aoun] to visit the Republic of Belarus in order to discuss at the highest level all the issues that may be of interest to us: both the bilateral and international agendas,” Maksim Ryzhenkov said.
In his words, Belarus and Lebanon have a very good interaction in the international arena. The countries support each other's representatives in the elected bodies of the UN system, vote for each other when making decisions on various resolutions. “In short, we have a very good background to look forward to the future with good optimism in our relations,” the minister said.
The Belarusian president also wished his Lebanese counterpart success in implementing his policies. “We have carefully read his election program, which he is implementing today. The program is aimed at consolidating society, strengthening the state apparatus, optimizing expenditures and raising the sectors that are vital for the current work of the country, preservation of inter-confessional peace and tranquility in the country. This is a very multi-confessional, multi-ethnic state, and the two countries are similar here. Therefore, these approaches of the new leadership are very close to us. We support them and are ready to help in the implementation of all plans,” Maksim Ryzhenkov said.
In his words, the standard of living has indeed fallen dramatically as a result of the turmoil that has hit Lebanon recently. Many partners come to Lebanon either with some kind of conditions of assistance or demands or offers of some kind of concessions, preconditions.
“We came here as friends. We say: “Here is what we can do. We are a small country in Europe. We have our own problems too. But today we are helping you.” We are ready, based on friendship, on the signs of our respect for the Lebanese people, gratitude for those long years of friendship, to move forward both in economic and humanitarian terms,” the minister of foreign affairs said.
He said that during the talks the Lebanese resident said that he would very much like to visit Belarus and meet with President Aleksandr Lukashenko. The Lebanese leader promised to find time in his schedule for such a visit. “At least we can see that the invitation has been accepted,” Maksim Ryzhenkov said.
The minister of foreign affairs noted that such visits should be very well prepared for. “That is why our task today is to turn this support at the highest political level into concrete projects in economic and humanitarian cooperation,” the minister said.
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