BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

20/05/2007

Iran's president to visit Belarus on May 21-22

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to pay an official visit to Belarus on May 21- 22, local Fars news agency reported on Saturday.

During the two-day visit which will take place at the invitation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Ahmadinejad is scheduled to meet different Belarusian officials and sign several cooperation agreements, Fars said.

Lukashenko has paid several visits to Iran during his present term, with the latest one on November 5-7, 2006.

The economic effect of the official visit by the Belarusian president to Iran last November was estimated at nearly 350 million U.S. dollars, according to Lukashenko's official website.

During Lukashenko's visit, the two sides focused primary attention on the issues of trade and economic cooperation.

Over the past few years, Iran and Belarus have been promoting bilateral economic and political relations.

Iran believes that Tehran and Minsk have similar views on international affairs and this would be a foundation for the two countries to forge closer relations.

At the same time, Belarus increasingly views Iran as a major source of oil and gas and also as a major market for Belarusian industrial goods.

Source:

http://english.people.com.cn/200705/20/eng20070520_376159.html