Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei participates in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (first day)

On September 22, 2021 during his visit to New York for the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, held a number of meetings with Foreign Ministers of the UN Member States.

During the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the parties discussed a wide range of issues of cooperation on the bilateral track as a follow-up to the agreements reached at the meeting of the Presidents of Belarus and Iran in Dushanbe on September 16, 2021. 

The Ministers reaffirmed the need to intensify the Belarusian-Iranian trade and economic interaction in the near future, taking into account the joint efforts of the two countries on the international arena to counter the policy of economic pressure and unilateral coercive measures. In order to effectively implement mutually beneficial projects, the heads of the foreign ministries agreed to intensify their work within the existing bilateral mechanisms of interaction: both through inter-ministerial consultations and at the Belarusian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

The parties also discussed issues on the multilateral agenda and interaction in international organizations. The Ministers noted the coincidence of positions on a number of topical international issues, primarily in relation to the problem of illegal sanctions as a method of political pressure and interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. During the conversation Hossein Amir Abdollahian invited Vladimir Makei to pay a visit to Tehran in the near future.

At a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua, Denis Ronaldo Moncada Colindres, issues of political, trade and economic cooperation between the two countries were discussed. The sides approved of the high level of mutual support in the international arena. Denis Ronaldo Moncada Colindres noted the importance of Belarus' participation in the activities of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. V.Makei thanked the head of the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry for the assistance in promoting Belarus’ initiatives at the UN, including combating human trafficking. Particular attention was paid to the development of economic ties between both countries, the intensification of the work of the Belarus-Nicaragua Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and increasing dynamics of contacts between the foreign ministries.

At the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu, the parties noted positive dynamics of bilateral cooperation. The issues of preparation of the next meeting of the Belarusian-Turkish Joint Intergovernmental Economic Commission were also discussed. An exchange of views took place on issues on the international agenda, including the topic of combating illegal migration. V.Makei thanked his colleague for the principled position and friendly assistance of the Turkish side against the background of anti-Belarusian rhetoric and actions by a number of states.

M.Cavusoglu confirmed Turkey’s high interest in the development of comprehensive relations with Belarus, the implementation of major economic projects in our country. He also expressed gratitude to the Belarusian side for providing significant assistance in eliminating forest fires on the southern coast of Turkey.

V.Makei also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Nikola Selaković. The parties discussed the current state and prospects for bilateral cooperation in the political, trade and economic spheres, interactions at multilateral fora, and exchanged views on topical issues on the international agenda, including the situation in the Western Balkans region. 

At the end of the day, a very rich and meaningful meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland, Pekka Haavisto, took place within the framework of which a number of issues of mutual interest were discussed.