Lukashenko: All key cooperation agreements with China should be converted into projects

All major cooperation agreements with China should be converted into specific projects, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at Peking University as he met with Hao Ping, Secretary of the CPC Peking University Committee, Chair of the Peking University Council, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, BelTA has learned.

“The president [of China] and I are long-standing friends. We have the same views on the situation in the world and global prospects. After our meeting, negotiations have continued at the level of deputy prime ministers. All our great ambitions and agreements should be put to practice, they should be translated into specific projects. On the instructions of Xi Jinping and on my instructions, the vice premiers are doing exactly this,” the Belarusian leader said.

He also emphasized the need to intensify communication between the peoples of the two countries: “The Chinese president has placed a special emphasis on this today. We need more intensive communication between youth groups, young people in general, because they are our future.”

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, student exchanges were also discussed at the meeting with Xi Jinping. “We need to scale up student exchange programs. We need to expand cooperation beyond biotechnologies into chemistry, physics, mathematics... China is interested in this kind of cooperation,” the president noted.

Hao Ping recalled that he was part of the Chinese delegation during the state visit of the Chinese president to Belarus in 2015. He was deputy education minister back then. He cherishes the memories of the hospitality and the warm welcome that he saw in Minsk.

“You recalled one of the chapters in the history of our relations. You were part of it. This is very gratifying. You know Minsk, you have been to Minsk. This means that it will be easier for us to intensify our contacts in education,” the Belarusian leader noted.

Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that during his ongoing visit he spoke with his good and old friend, President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, for about four hours. “He recalled our first meeting in Minsk. He was deputy president back then. I was very pleased to find out that he remembers the details of our meeting,” the president said.

Peking University is a leading higher education institution in China. It is one of the country's two most prestigious universities, the other one being Tsinghua University. It has over 46,000 students, including 3,300 foreigners.

The university includes 55 schools and departments, more than 120 research laboratories. Its library is one of the biggest in Asia.

Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke to Peking University students in September 2016.

In June 2019, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Peking University and Belarusian State University. In May 2022 an agreement was reached with Belarusian State University to launch a joint educational program in biotechnology.

Writen by belta.by