President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, told visiting Georgian PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili in Minks that he remains committed to boosting bilateral ties with Georgia.
Lukashenko, who paid his first official visit to Georgia last year, also said that different foreign policy course pursued by Georgia and Belarus is not an obstacle for closer bilateral cooperation and also added that the two countries “actually have no differences.”
“Your visit demonstrates Georgia’s serious intentions to strengthen relations with Belarus,” the Belarus President told the Georgian PM. “When I visited Georgia, we have agreed on many issues, but the most important is that when we looked into each others’ eyes we understood that there is a huge potential [in bilateral cooperation], and we have taken a right decision that our governments should be in a forefront of implementing our agreements and I want to reassure you that we remain committed to this course. The Georgian people are not strangers for us and I am glad that you feel here like at home.”
“As far as economic relations are concerned, we have a goal – USD 200 million trade turnover [annually] is a first step that I think we should achieve in the near future,” the Belarus President said.
“You know what we can sell, supply to or jointly produce in Georgia – we have put forth our proposals, and Georgia accepted; we know what you can do in Belarus – everything; if you are interested in the European, Eurasian market – you know that there are no forbidden issues for you in Belarus. So I think that we will achieve this USD 200 million trade turnover very soon,” Lukashenko said.
Bilateral trade turnover between Georgia and Belarus stood at USD 41.23 million in 2015, down from USD 55.43 million in 2014, according to the Georgian state statistics office, Geostat.
“As far as the foreign policy is concerned – here we actually have no differences; no matter what kind of [foreign policy] course Georgia is pursuing and the course we follow – we know it, but it does not hinder us from building our bilateral relations,” the Belarus President said.
“We follow [international] developments and we are ready to adjust our relations if need be, but only towards further improvement of our relations,” he added.
The Georgian PM said that bilateral cooperation has “a huge potential”.
“It is a great honor to visit this country, which has always stood by Georgia and Georgians appreciate it,” PM Kvirikashvili told the Belarus President. “There is a great deal of your personal contribution in these relations. We appreciate highly your support towards Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Georgian PM, who is paying a two-day official visit to Minks, also met his Belarusian counterpart Andrei Kobyakov on March 22.
