Results of the first Conference of Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Belarus

06 October 2017

06-10-2017

On October 3-6, 2017 Minsk hosted first Conference of Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Belarus.

Representatives of 45 countries participated in the Conference. During the forum, Honorary Consuls’ activity on the promotion of national interests of the Belarusian state abroad was evaluated. The participants discussed promising areas of their work, primarily in the area of foreign trade and attracting foreign investment.

Within the framework of the busy agenda of the Conference, Honorary Consuls met with the leadership of the Government of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our country, other Ministries and governmental bodies, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Foreign guests visited Belarus-China industrial park Great Stone, the automobile engineering company BelAZ, and the agricultural farm Dzerzhynsky.

As part of the cultural program, the honorary consuls got acquainted with the exposition of the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, visited the memorial complex Mound of Glory, the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, the Belarussian State Circus.

Key event of the forum was the meeting of Honorary Consuls with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Kobyakov, who acquainted the Conference participants with the social and economic development of Belarus, main directions of the national economic policy, dynamics of trade, economic and investment cooperation with foreign countries.

In concluding remarks at the closing of the Conference, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei summarized the results of the Conference, highlighting the mutual benefit from the rich and interested communication of the participants of the event, their direct acquaintance with Belarus.

The Foreign Minister focused on the foreign policy and foreign economic strategy of our country, stressing the unique role that Honorary Consuls play in promoting national interests of Belarus and protecting rights of citizens on the international arena.

The Minister illustrated this with a number of concrete examples starting from the rendering by the Honorary Consul in Ukraine of assistance to Belarusian citizens injured in an accident to the assistance of an Honorary Consul in Sudan in organizing a high-level visit to this African country.

Based on the results of the Conference, participants noted the importance of the forum as a unique platform for the exchange of experience and coordination of the activities of Honorary Consuls representing interests of the Republic of Belarus in different countries and regions of the world. Meetings in this format are expected to become traditional.