During Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s state visit to Tehran, Iran and Belarus signed a plan for future cooperation.
Lukashenko arrived in the Iranian capital late on Sunday, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi gave him an official welcome on Monday. The two nations are celebrating 30 years of formal diplomatic ties at the time of the visit.
Following talks, the two presidents and their delegations signed eight agreements on a variety of topics, including commerce, mining, and transportation.
“Today we established an agreement on a comprehensive path between Iran and Belarus,” Raisi said during a joint conference with Lukashenko following the discussions.
This detailed roadmap between Iran and Belarus describes the political and economic situation and covers all areas of mutual interest.
The Iranian president also said that Tehran had turned the Western and American sanctions against it into an opportunity and was willing to share its experiences with Belarus, a “friend” of Iran. Both nations reject “unilateralism,” according to Raisi.
Lukashenko also met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
According to his official website, Khamenei urged Lukashenko, “Countries that are sanctioned by the US must work together and form a joint collective to remove the weapon of sanctions, and we believe this is achievable.
According to Lukashenko, a strong ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, sanctions might be used as an opportunity to strengthen ties with Iran on the economic front. The two decided to aim for $100 million in bilateral trade this year.
Belarus and Iran share a desire for a fair, multipolar world, according to Lukashenko. “The two nations also support enhancing relations,” according to the statement.
The presidents did not discuss Russia at the conference, despite the fact that they both view it as a key partner, particularly in light of the conflict in Ukraine.
Western sanctions have targeted both, and Tehran has been accused of shipping armed drones to Moscow for use in the conflict, a charge it has denied.
Lukashenko has been in charge of Belarus for 30 years. He has been charged by human rights organizations with stifling dissent during that time, most recently for sentencing an opposition figure to 15 years in prison.
