BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

07/07/2007

Iran ambassador: Iran and Belarus are strategic allies

TEHRAN, July 07 (ISNA)-Iran's ambassador to Belarus sated that Iran and Belarus considered one another as strategic allies.

"With the progress we see in our relations, currently we are at a point which can be said Iran and Belarus are one another's strategic allies," said Abdul Hamid Fekri to ISNA.

"Iran and Belarus have a high potential in industrial, economic and cultural fields which these experiences could be forwarded to each other," he added, while noting that both sides welcomed all opportunities to cooperate and establish joint ventures in international projects.

"Currently our main cooperation fields are in water and electricity power plants, heat power plants and petrochemical products. Our cooperation only within this year is estimated to boost from 50 million dollars annually to 500 million dollars," Fekri explained.

When asked whether it was expected of Russia to react toward Iran's oil exploiting projects in Belarus, this official stated that these relations were due to the will and request of both sides' officials and nations and it seemed unlikely that Russia would react.

"This country has a 95 percent energy dependence of Russia and Belarus so to reduce this figure aside from Iran is negotiating with Azerbaijan, Venezuela and Persian Gulf countries," he added.

Source:

http://www.isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-955549&Lang=E