BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/12/2007

Bekarus greatly interested to co-operate with Qatar -- President

Submitted by Mudassir Rizwan

* Muslim World News

By NNN-Belta

Minsk : Co-operation with Qatar is of great interest to Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko said when receiving credentials from the Ambassador of Qatar to Belarus, Saad Mohamed Saad al-Kobaisi, here Tuesday.

"Asian and African countries have traditionally been the priorities of the Belarusian foreign policy," said the President.

"Qatar is of special interest to Belarus, as it takes an active stand in the international arena and plays an important role in ensuring international energy security," President Lukashenko stressed

According to him, Belarus and Qatar should more actively promote their economic cooperation.

When receiving letters of credence from the Tanzanian Ambassador to Belarus, Patrick Segeja Chokala, President Lukashenko noted that Belarus only started building relations with Tanzania recently.

"Our country is interested in promoting contacts with Tanzania, first of all economic ones," the Belarusian head of state added.

In turn, the Tanzanian ambassador confirmed his country's readiness to purchase Belarusian vehicles, first of all tractors, and to promote co-operation in the educational sphere.

Welcoming the Ambassador of Myanmar, Min Thein, the president said Belarus hoped to concretise the co-operation between the two countries.

"North Korea and Belarus have similar positions on the key issues relating to the world order and international relations," President Lukashenko stressed when addressing North Korea Ambassador Kim Yong Jae.

"At the same time the countries are not exploiting their trade-economic potential to the full," he stressed.

Receiving the letter of credence of the new Colombian ambassador, President Lukashenko said Belarus hoped to develop a dialogue with Colombia, strengthen co-operation in all areas, and exchange experiences in the fight against organized crime, illegal migration and trade in people.

President Lukashenko said when receiving the letters of credence from Ambassador Diego Jose Tobon Echeverri that Latin America had taken on independent and serious significance in the foreign policy of Belarus.

Belarus has no ideological, political and other disagreements with the states of the region. An important factor is that the countries share the aspiration for a balanced and multi-polar world order.

The president said that recently Belarus and Colombia had intensified political contacts and strengthened interaction in the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Source:

http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/dec/12/bekarus_greatly_interested_co_operate_qatar_president.html