Belarus ready to offer Iraq co-operation in trade-economic and military-technical spheres

Meeting the Iraqi Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Al Jaafari, the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, noted our nations’ long history of co-operation. He emphasised, “We have always respected the friendly people of Iraq and have been concerned about events in your country. Rest assured that we have been and will always be your friend.”


Belarus and Iraq are eager to expand their ties, including in the sphere of education, as numbers of Iraqi students already study in Belarus. Mr. Lukashenko underlined, “One thing is clear — we must advance our co-operation to a new level. It’s essential to build a true foundation for our relations. Our interaction can grow from a platform of trade-economic and military-technical collaboration. We’re ready to promote relations in these fields.”

He added that two or three projects could be initiated to develop trade-economic relations between Belarus and Iraq, for building upon in the years to come.
Speaking about stability in Iraq, Mr. Lukashenko noted that it is of ‘paramount concern’. “We’d like Iraqi people to live in a stable state. People should realise that they live in a truly rich country and that this wealth is the legacy of the Iraqi nation,” he remarked.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq conveyed warmest greetings from his leadership and noted that Belarus and the city of Minsk have also survived war in their long history. He touched upon global instability in the world and in his region and spoke about Iraq’s fight against terrorism, as well as thanking Belarus for its humanitarian aid to Iraq. He highly praised Belarus’ manufacturing potential and expressed interest in developing ties with Belarusian partners in this area, as well as in agriculture and other industries.

All these issues will be discussed in detail at the next session of the joint commission for trade-economic co-operation.


Ibrahim Al Jaafari also met the Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, Mikhail Myasnikovich, as well as Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei. Mr. Myasnikovich told his guest, during negotiations in the Upper House of Parliament, “We’re keen to see Iraq operate as a strong and stable state, strengthening inter-state partnership and realising joint projects of mutual interest. I assure you that Belarusian parliamentarians will do all possible to facilitate trade-economic, humanitarian and political contacts.”