Belarusian FM arrives in China on a visit
MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) — Belarusian Minister of Foreign
Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov has arrived in China on a visit, BelTA has learned.
The minister is on an official visit to China 6 to 9 July
at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Maksim Ryzhenkov shared with journalists the details
of the program of his visit to China on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Astana,
Kazakhstan.
The minister will attend important protocol events to
raise the state flag of the Republic of Belarus at the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization HQ in Beijing. “It will be done in the presence of the diplomatic
corps with the relevant protocol arrangements,” Maksim Ryzhenkov explained.
The minister will have an entire series of meetings
with representatives of China. The meeting with Chinese Minister of Foreign
Affairs Wang Yi will be the key one. “We would like to review all the matters
concerning the current state of affairs between Belarus and China. Matters of
political, diplomatic, and economic nature,” the Belarusian minister of foreign
affairs said.
In his words, he is set to meet with top officials of
the development agency, which takes care of projects abroad, to discuss major
joint projects such as the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone, the
development of the Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation, and other
ones. “We will also formalize the agreements reached by the presidents. Agreements
on allocating a Chinese grant of about ¥100 million for social projects in
Belarus,” Maksim Ryzhenkov stated.
The minister is also expected to meet with officials
of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party
of China. “We had very good contacts in the Administration [during Maksim
Ryzhenkov’s tenure at the Belarus President Administration]. But I will come in
a new capacity. It is a very important matter for advancing the political and
diplomatic dialogue with the People’s Republic of China,” he noted.
Maksim Ryzhenkov also intends to visit a number of
enterprises and organizations in China.
BelTA reported earlier that Belarusian President
Aleksandr Lukashenko met with China President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana.
Xi Jinping congratulated Aleksandr Lukashenko on
Belarus’ acquiring a new status within the framework of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization. The China president said: “Your country celebrated
Independence Day yesterday. Today your country has become a full member of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization. I heartily congratulate you.”
He reminded that the Belarus president visited China
twice in 2023. During the negotiations the parties sketched out plans for
advancing all-weather strategic partnership. Tight contacts are maintained at
all levels.
“We will definitely facilitate further stable
development of our relations,” Xi Jinping stated. The Chinese leader added that
the parties intend to go forward in this direction by leaps and bounds.
In turn, Aleksandr Lukashenko thanked the China
president and the Chinese minister of foreign affairs for the colossal support
Belarus had received on the way to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
membership.
“I am very glad that you are about to become the
presiding country [in 2025]. It means I will have an extra opportunity to visit
the People’s Republic of China next year. I’ve noted down your initiatives that
you promote in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: global security, global
development, global civilization, global control of artificial intelligence.
You’ve already noticed positive and negative aspects of artificial
intelligence. We support all your initiatives by all means. Particularly the
key initiative to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. This initiative is consonant
with Brazil’s initiative,” the president noted.
After completing the main bilateral meeting involving
their delegations, the leaders of Belarus and China returned to the SCO+
summit. After that they resumed one-on-one negotiations. Aleksandr Lukashenko
and Xi Jinping talked at length. The Chinese minister of foreign affairs joined
the conversation when necessary.
