Deputy explains the importance of Aleksandr Lukashenko’s visit to Iran
The visit of the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, to Iran is important both in terms of trade-economic relations and in the context of international security – as stated by deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly Oleg Gaidukevich during his talk with Alfa Radio
He noted that the strength of Belarus’ foreign policy lies in the fact that it has always built relations with other countries based on its own national interests, without looking back at the wishes of other states, and in this regard the relationships with Iran are a very vivid example.
“Iran is one of the key countries in the Middle East, with a population of almost 90 million people. Iran’s economy is ranked fourth in the Middle East and second in Western Asia (after Türkiye). Moreover, it is the most powerful Shiite state. This is a country against which there are 4,000 sanctions, and yet it lives and develops. Moreover, Iran is an example of what the foreign policy of the West is towards any country. At one time, the West and Iran boasted excellent relations, with British Petroleum making huge profits there. But in 1951, the Iranian PM, who came to power, decided to nationalise part of the oil fields and redistribute the profits, because the country was being plundered. What did the US and UK do? They carried out a coup d’état. The intelligence services of the United States and Great Britain put the Shah in power. Was it democracy? On the contrary, all parties were destroyed, the secret police appeared, democracy was strangled in every possible way. They actually wanted to turn the country into a colony, and the people in Iran, of course, saw it all. As a result, the Islamic Revolution took place in 1979 and the Americans were thrown out of Iran. Since then, thousands of sanctions have been imposed. Why? Because the Iranians want to live independently, with their own mind, they don’t want to give up their oil. There has never been a struggle for democracy and freedom on the part of the West. It always invaded different countries for money.”
The parliamentarian stressed that the example of Iran is indicative in the sense that one should not be afraid of sanctions and attempts at isolation. Western countries have not been able to isolate and stifle Iran. Despite the enormous pressure, Russia and Belarus will also stand, and it is essential to develop relationships.
“Our trade with Iran tripled last year to reach $100m,” stated the MP. “The main purpose of the President’s visit is to focus on trade-economic co-operation. We must increase trade turnover many times over. There are prospects for this, based on thirty years of joint work. We have always supported Iran and developed relations with it. We never interfered in other countries’ internal affairs and did not go to anyone with our advice. The second important topic is security in the world. Iran is a key state for stability in the Middle East. The United States does not want peace in the region, wanting the Middle East to constantly blaze and to have wars going on there. The US has the same attitude towards Ukraine and the Baltic State, which they are interested in only as an instrument, an outpost against Russia.”
