Turkey, Belarus seek to enhance bilateral ties

MINSK - Anadolu Agency

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said on Feb. 14 that Turkey and Belarus are seeking to further develop relations between the two countries during his two-day official visit to the country.

“I believe this visit will lead to further develop the relations, which are already good,” Yıldırım said at a joint news conference with his Belarusian counterpart Andrey Kobyakov in the capital Minsk.

The two prime ministers held bilateral talks before the news conference.

Calling the meeting with the Belarusian prime minister “fruitful,” Yıldırım said they discussed trade and economic activities between the two countries.

Education, science, innovation, human development, sports, culture, and expansion of mutual investment and trade were also discussed in the meeting, he noted.

Yıldırım is the first prime minister from Turkey to visit Belarus. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also paid a visit to Belarus in 2016.

“Turkey and Belarus get along well and have common ground in the regional and international fields as well as bilateral talks, which are going on at a very good level,” he said.

Around $1 billion trade volume between the two countries does not reflect the real potential, Yıldırım said, adding that the two countries could increase the trade volume by taking joint steps.

“We fully support the [economic] expansion of Belarus to Africa and the Middle East,” the Turkish premier added.

Yıldırım also noted that Turkey welcomes Belarus’s policy aiming to preserve peace, stability and welfare.

Important partner

The Belarusian prime minister, for his part, said Turkey is an important partner for his country, the region and the world.

Kobyakov noted that their priority is to increase the trade volume between the two countries.

The Turkey-Belarus Business Forum will be held in Minsk on Feb. 15, where prospects for further development of mutual trade, economic and investment cooperation will be discussed.

Kobyakov said the forum will be the “beginning of a new cooperation term.”

The two countries inked agreements in the fields of transportation, economy, sports, standards, science, and librarianship.

Turkey was the first country to recognize the independence of Belarus. Diplomatic relations were established in 1992.