Lukashenko: Belarus and Turkiye did a lot to strengthen relations

Belarus and Turkiye have done a lot to deepen their relations, but there are still unresolved issues, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Ambassador of Turkiye Mustafa Ozcan on 11 September, BelTA has learned.

“Recently, we have done a lot in terms of deepening relations between Belarus and Turkiye. However, there are still a number of unresolved issues in terms of our agreement with [Turkish President] Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I think these issues are solvable. We have similar positions on many issues of international relations, including the crisis situation in Ukraine. We have spoken about it many times. Both Turkiye and Belarus take the position of diplomatic resolution of this conflict,” the head of state said.

As for trade and economic relations, Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that the states once agreed to reach $1.5 billion in trade. “I think we have more than $1 billion in mutual trade for the second year already. We need to reach this level. Moreover, we have such opportunities,” the Belarusian leader said.

He also praised the Turkish president in shaping an independent policy of the country: "We are eagerly following your sovereign independent politics. You solve issues the way the Turkish people need. In this matter your president has surpassed, one could say, all expectations of the Turkish people,” the Belarusian president emphasized.

"We stand ready to do everything to contribute to the development of your country. We are not philanthropists. We are looking to benefit from this too. We need to remove the unresolved issues that we still have. We very much hope that Turkiye will lend us a helping hand in this difficult situation. I would like to discuss a number of issues that we will have to solve together with you in the near future," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

In turn, Mustafa Ozcan thanked the head of state for the opportunity to meet to discuss issues on both the bilateral and international agendas. He also conveyed warm greetings from the president of Turkiye and words of sincere gratitude to the Belarusian side for the assistance rendered after the earthquake in Turkiye in February 2023. “We were amazed by the solidarity of the Belarusian people, and we will never forget the help provided by the Belarusian people,” the head of the diplomatic mission emphasized.

Written by belta.by