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Diplomat says Belarus-US relations 'normalizing'

Cooperation in trade and investment is a priority issue for Belarus

MINSK, March 31. /TASS/. Relations between Belarus and the United States have improved thanks to mutual effort and are on course for a "certain normalization", Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Guryanov said on Tuesday.

Full-fledged partnership had always been a goal in dealings with Washington, Guryanov told a televised question-and-answer session.

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"Even during the most difficult years for Belarusian-American interaction the two countries never halted cooperation in ensuring global and regional security and preventing illegal transit of nuclear materials," he said.

Interaction continues between law enforcement agencies in Belarus and the US alongside growing inter-regional ties and the deepening of scientific and cultural associations, the minister told his audience, noting that Belarusia's prime minister has joined an investment forum in New York City last year coinciding with the appointment of honorary consuls in the United States.

"Cooperation in trade and investment is a priority issue for Belarus," the diplomat said. "Belarus is interested in its producers gaining access to a financially reliable and receptive US market," he added. Minsk sought opportunities for attracting investment, developing industrial co-operation and receiving loans.

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