Alexander Lukashenko: Belarus has designed its own development model

On July 23, Belarusian Head of State Alexander Lukashenko received credentials from the Ambassadors of 11 countries: Germany, the Republic of Kenya, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Netherlands, the Sultanate of Oman, Syria, Ukraine, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Japan. When addressing the diplomats the President noted that Belarus has developed its own model of socio-economic development and has chosen its way of building the legal democratic state. Belarus will not follow foreign recipes but will be guided by its historical traditions and the interests of the state. “Mainly due to these principles Belarus has reached high rates of economic and socio-economic stability,” the Head of the Belarusian State underlined. Speaking to the diplomats, Alexander Lukashenko declared that the main principle of the Belarusian policy is the development of all-round mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries. “We intend to actively use the creative potential of the international diplomacy to boost economic, political and cultural ties, to search new promising partners for implementation of joint initiatives and projects,” he said. Belarus attaches great importance to cooperation with Ukraine, Alexander Lukashenko said when receiving credentials from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Belarus Igor Likhovoi. “Over the years of independence we have managed to strengthen and extend economic and cultural relations between the two brotherly Slavonic nations,” the Belarusian leader underlined. In the last four years the trade turnover between Belarus and Ukraine grew more than four-fold to almost $2.5 billion in 2006. Alexander Lukashenko has underlined that Germany occupies a special place in the most important foreign economic and foreign political relations of Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko considers that Belarus may use Germany’s political authority to normalize its political dialogue with the European Union. The statement to this effect was made by the Belarusian Head of State when he was receiving credentials from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the FRG to Belarus Gebhardt Weiss. “I am sure that Germany’s political authority may be used to overcome distrust and to normalize the political dialogue between Belarus and the European Union,” said the Belarusian Head of State. Belarus is interested in the Netherlands’ experience in the sphere of transport and logistics, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stressed when receiving credentials from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands to Poland and Belarus on concurrent Marnix Krop. Belarus will also welcome more active participation of Swiss banks in the country’s banking sector, Alexander Lukashenko declared when receiving credentials from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Switzerland to Poland and Belarus on concurrent Benedict de Cerjat. “Belarus and Switzerland have been successfully developing relations in humanitarian sphere, especially in mitigating consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe. However this is not enough. There are presuppositions to boost cooperation in other areas of mutual interest. In particular, we would welcome active participation of Swiss banks in the Belarusian banking sector,” the President said. The opening of a diplomatic mission of Syria in Minsk will help the two countries to more efficiently cooperate in various areas, the President of Belarus said when receiving credentials from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Syrian Arab Republic to Belarus Faruk Takh. “The relations between Belarus and Syria are positively developing. And the decision to open the embassy in Minsk taken by the Syrian leadership testifies to the reached level of bilateral contacts in various areas. I think the embassy will help us promote the cooperation in the foreign political, economic and other spheres,” said the Belarusian Head of State. When receiving credentials from the head of the diplomatic mission of the Sultanate of Oman to Belarus and Russia /on concurrent/ Alexander Lukashenko expressed satisfaction with the reached level of the Belarusian-Omani cooperation. Belarus is ready to build up bilateral trade with Morocco and Ethiopia, Belarusian Alexander Lukashenko said when receiving letters of credence from foreign ambassadors. Traditionally these countries are interested in the products of the Belarusian mechanical engineering, Alexander Lukashenko said. “We are ready to work on building up the trade turnover.” The Head of State expressed hope that the activity of the ambassadors of Kenya and Sri Lanka will contribute to the establishment of contacts at the interstate level and intensification of interaction in all areas, first of all, the trade and economic sphere. “We are interested in further development of cooperation with the Netherlands. The country, one of Europe’s biggest trading centers, is widely-known for its logistics and transport structures and wholesale exchange technologies, therefore this experience is of undeniable interest for us,” the President said. Belarus plans to tightly cooperate with Japanese companies in order to accomplish projects aimed at introducing high-tech innovations in energy and resource saving, Alexander Lukashenko said today as he received credentials of Yasuo Saito, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Russia and Belarus (combined office). “In its relations with Japan Belarus is primarily interested in enhancing the trade, economic and investment cooperation,” the Belarusian head of state said addressing the diplomat. In turn, the Japanese Ambassador delivered warm wishes sent by the Emperor of Japan to Alexander Lukashenko and expressed hope for the future development of friendly relations.