BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

05/11/2006

Lukashenko to visit Iran for talks with Ahmadinejad

MINSK. Nov 5 (Interfax) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko will fly to Iran on a three-day official visit on Sunday.

Later on Sunday Lukashenko is expected to meet with the Iranian commerce minister, presidential envoy and chairman of the mixed Belarussian-Iranian commission on economic cooperation Masud Mir-Kazemi.

On Monday the Belarussian president is to hold talks with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The program of Lukashenko's visit also includes talks with First Vice President Parviz Davudi.

On Tuesday, Lukashenko is to visit the Imam Khomeini Mausoleum.

Also on Tuesday Lukashenko will meet with President Ahmadinejad again.

Belarus and Iran established diplomatic relations back in 1993, the Belarussian presidential press service said. In December 1997 a Belarussian embassy was opened in Iran, and in 2001 an Iranian embassy was opened in Minsk.

Lukashenko visited Iran in March 1998. Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami paid a return visit to Belarus in September 2004.

Source:

http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=11616916