Belarus and countries of Asia and Oceania

Development of cooperation with the countries of the South, East and Southeast Asia is an important direction of the multi-vector foreign policy of Belarus.

The Asian region is an absolute priority for Belarus, primarily, as a capacious, promising and rapidly expanding market for Belarusian goods and services, and a promising source of investments in the Belarusian economy.

Simultaneously, the countries of the region import a wide range of products similar to those produced in the Republic of Belarus. There are objective prerequisites for the promotion of Belarusian goods and services.

Certain countries of the region are among the world leaders in terms of direct investments abroad, which can help the Republic of Belarus develop the promising sectors of the national economy.

There are mechanisms created with those countries for interaction at the political level, ongoing inter-parliamentary cooperation and dialogue evolving in the spheres of trade and economy, industry, science and technologies, culture, education, etc.

Belarus has a solid normative and legislative basis of cooperation with the countries of the region that continues to expand with new agreements being added in promising areas.

Belarus enjoys an effective cooperation with the countries of the region within international organizations, including the exchange of reciprocal support on fundamental issues.

Traditionally, the key direction of Belarus' foreign policy in Asia is the deepening of strategic partnership with China. In September 2022, on the sidelines of the summit of the heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states in Samarkand, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping decided to raise the level of bilateral relations to an all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership.

Minsk and Beijing have mechanisms for regular exchanges of top-level visits, an active ongoing inter-parliamentary dialogue, well-functioning Belarusian-Chinese Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, dynamically developing inter-agency and inter-regional contacts.

The Republic of Belarus intends to become a lead regional participant in the Belt and Road Initiative. The "Great Stone" industrial park plays a special role as an international high-tech project open to new foreign investors. As of January 2024, 124 residents from 14 countries are registered in the Industrial Park.

Relations with India are developing dynamically. In 2023 the Sides hold the Sessions of the Working groups on pharmaceuticals, textile industry and interbank consultations. There were a series of business events – industrial, pharmaceutical, chemical and business forums. On August 12, 2023 Belarus and India opened a direct flight that connects the capitals Minsk and New Delhi.

Belarus has been developing mutually beneficial relations with Iran. A high level of political contacts has been achieved. The Head of the Belarusian nation met with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meetings on September 16, 2021 in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and on September 16, 2022 in Samarkand (Uzbekistan). On March 12-13, 2023, the Head of the Belarusian State visited Tehran.

On November 22 – 23, 2022 a governmental delegation headed by Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko visited Iran.

A month earlier within the framework of preparations for the visit of the Belarusian Prime Minister to Iran Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, visited Tehran where he held negotiations with the leadership of the Islamic Republic.

In September 2021 and 2022, on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the 76th and 77th sessions of the UN General Assembly in New York Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei met with his Iranian counterpart, Dr. Hossein Amirabdollahian. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergei Aleinik met with Dr. Hossein Amirabdollahian in March 2023 in Tehran and in August 2023 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.

Interaction with Tehran covers the spheres of trade, economy, investments, transport and logistics, education, culture, etc. In January 2018, Belarusian-Iranian Commission for Economic Cooperation had its' regular session in Tehran. In July 2019, in Tehran 5th round of political consultations between the Foreign Ministry of Belarus and Foreign Ministry of Iran took place.

There is a regular interaction at various levels with Pakistan. President of the Republic of Belarus A.Lukashenko visited the country in 2015 and 2016, thus providing an impetus to the advancement of multifaceted bilateral relations and contributing to the establishment of an active exchange of visits between delegations of different levels.

Within the framework of a dynamic partnership with Pakistan in May 2023 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus visited Islamabad.

ASEAN countries are among priorities for Belarus in Asia. Belarus pursues a policy aimed at developing friendly relations with the counties of the region.

Diplomatic relations were established with all the countries of the region, diplomatic missions are functioning in Vietnam (concurrently in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand) and Indonesia (concurrently in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines). In March 2022, the Consulate General of the Republic of Belarus was opened in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).

Inter-parliamentary ties are developing. Since 2011, Belarus has had observer status at the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. The Ambassador of Belarus to Indonesia has been accredited with ASEAN since 2012. Common approaches to the issues of the multilateral agenda allow Belarus to successfully cooperate with the countries of Southeast Asia on the international arena.

Bilateral relations with Indonesia, Vietnam and other states of the region are actively developing.

In March 2013, the state visits of the President of the Republic of Belarus A.G.Lukashenko to Indonesia and Singapore took place, which made it possible to expand the dialogue of Belarus with these states in the trade, economic and political spheres.

An effective mechanism of bilateral interaction has been established between the countries within the framework of regular meetings of the Belarusian-Indonesian Joint Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical cooperation, as well as Consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

The avenues for the ongoing development of bilateral cooperation were identified during the session of the Belarusian-Vietnamese intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation held in March 2022. In April 2022, a road map of interaction for two years, as well as agreements in the field of certification were signed on the sidelines of the meeting of the Belarusian-Indonesian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation.

On December 6-9, 2023, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko paid an official visit to Vietnam.

The Belarusian side looks forward to developing mutually beneficial dialogue with the Republic of Korea, Japan and Australia.

Positive dynamics is observed in scientific, technical and innovative cooperation of Belarus with Asian countries on the bilateral track. The State Committee for Science and Technology and the Institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus are developing interactions with the leading research and innovation organizations in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries.

Over the past 15 years, trade with the countries of the region has significantly increased. 

Stable supplies of Belarusian fertilizers allow partners in the region to effectively ensure food security and export development.

The states of the region are important consumers of engineering products. Belarusian mining dump trucks BELAZ, MAZ trucks, Belarus tractors, tires, oil products, chemical products, machinery and equipment are well known in the countries of the region. An assembly plant for MAZ trucks operates in Vietnam.

Taking into account the achievements of Belarus in the production of agricultural products, cooperation in the food sector has a lot of potential. Belarus is successfully increasing the supply of food, including dairy products.

Humanitarian cooperation is also developing. A number of bilateral programs and projects is implemented with Japan and the Republic of Korea. These projects are aimed at the implementation of technical assistance programmes in the social and humanitarian spheres, capacity building in the field of medical care and social protection of the population of Belarus, including in the areas affected by the Chernobyl accident.

Belarus established effective cooperation with Mongolia in a wide range of areas. Important bilateral events were conducted such as Important events on the bilateral political track were the meeting of the President of the Republic of Belarus A.Lukashenko with the President of Mongolia U.Khurelsukh in December 2023 (on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai), the meeting foreign ministers of the two countries in September 2023 within the framework of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

⇒ Belarus in International Relations Source