An archive photo
MINSK, 3 July (BelTA) – The potential for Belarus-Kazakhstan cooperation is enormous, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in an interview with the international news agency Kazinform in the run-up to the SCO summit in Astana, BelTA has learned.
“It is huge! A lot has been done, but we can achieve even more,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that Belarus and Kazakhstan built close relations back in the Soviet period, and these contacts remained in place after the two countries gained independence. Belarus and Kazakhstan are partners in the EAEU, the CIS, and the CSTO.
“We have always had cordial and friendly relations with the leadership of Kazakhstan. And this has helped us resolve the most difficult issues more than once,” the head of state noted.
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that the bilateral trade has been hovering around a $1-billion mark for three years in a row. Yet, Belarus and Kazakhstan can do even better given their capabilities. “We have made tremendous progress in industrial cooperation, industrial policy, transport, agriculture. We hope that we will soon be able to remove obstacles to the transit of goods and fully restore air communication,” he said.
Kazakhstan is also a regular participant in the international art festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk and last year its representative became a laureate of the song contest of the festival. The two countries also run a number of joint projects related to youth and cultural exchanges.
“It is very important for Belarus to become a full member of the SCO during Kazakhstan’s chairmanship. We appreciate Kazakhstan's support for Belarus' bid. We are optimistic about the future of our relations and our plans are big,” the Belarusian head of state added.
