MINSK, March 1. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko wants to intensify relations with China, pointing out that Minsk had many advantageous offers in this regard.
"We have many suggestions, many plans that will be beneficial for both Belarus and China. Let’s intensify our relations together," Lukashenko said at a meeting with Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang on Wednesday, the BelTA news agency informs. "We have never set out to be friends or work against anyone. We do everything in the interests of our peoples, and we will continue doing so," the president stated.
According to him, trade turnover between the two countries is constantly growing, and there are no topics that are off the table between the sides. Lukashenko thanked China for its assistance and support to Belarus. "Many years ago, when I came to China, I asked you to share with us your experience of cooperation in all areas in free economic zones. We have done a lot since then," Lukashenko said.
The president recalled the Great Stone China-Belarus Industrial Park near Minsk. "[Chinese President] Xi Jinping called it the pearl of the Silk Road. I said then: we will be grateful. We have achieved the impossible. We dreamt of five billion [dollars] in trade turnover, and it is almost six billion [dollars] and growing," the head of state said.
Lukashenko is on a state visit to China from February 28 to March 2.