VP Aref: Iran attaches great importance to developing ties with Belarus

MOSCOW, 18 November (BelTA - IRNA) - First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has stressed the importance of enhancing relations with Belarus.

The economies of the two countries can complement each other and meet each other's mutual needs, Aref said in meeting with Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Genrikhovich Turchin, which was held on the sidelines of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow.

He described President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent visit to Minsk as a turning point in the development of all-out relations between the two countries.

Given the active presence of both countries in regional bodies such as the Eurasian Economic Union and the SCO, increasing cooperation between Iran and Belarus can be beneficial for the entire region, Aref reiterated.

Enhancing cultural and scientific relations can pave the way for strengthening relations in other sectors, including the economy, he added.

Holding a Cultural Day of Belarus in Iran could be an opportunity to introduce this friendly country to the Iranian people, he stated.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he stressed the role Iranian and Belarusian private sectors in various fields, including cultural, tourism, economic, and science and technology.

Meanwhile, Turchin assured that the agreements made during President Pezeshkian’s visit will cause development in the two countries’ relations.

The implementation of the Iran-Eurasia free trade agreement is in the interest of both countries, he emphasized.

Belarus is interested in developing bilateral relations, implementing joint projects, investments, and production, and enhancing cultural and educational cooperation, he said.