Kachanova: Relations between Belarus and China are built on a high level of trust and respect

Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova held a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus Xie Xiaoyun, BELTA correspondent reports.

"Belarus is proud of and cherishes its good relations with great China. Our relations are built on a high level of trust, respect, and mutual interest. The personal, friendly contacts between the leaders of the two countries form a strong foundation for our relationship. Today, we can confidently say that our relations have reached the level of comprehensive strategic partnership," Natalya Kochanova emphasized. "For us, China is a friendly and kindred country. We are ready for cooperation in all areas. I believe that in 2022, when we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Chinese-Belarusian diplomatic relations, we will duly mark this event with new contacts and joint projects."

The Chairperson of the Council of the Republic recalled that following the video conference with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Li Zhanshu, which took place on June 8, the parties discussed the interaction between the two countries in the economy, humanitarian sphere, and at the level of public organizations. "We have formalized proposals for our cooperation and sent them through diplomatic channels to Mr. Li Zhanshu for further implementation," she added.

"Trade and economic partnership with China is very important for us. Under the Western sanctions against our country, we understand that it is more necessary than ever for us to strengthen trade and economic cooperation. We are pleased that the trade turnover between the People's Republic of China and Belarus has increased by 28%, reaching almost $600 million, which is very important for our countries," said the speaker.

Natalia Kochanova drew attention to the joint project being implemented - the China-Belarus Industrial Park "Great Stone". She noted that on June 11, the Head of State signed Decree No. 215, which improves the legal regulation aimed at enhancing the investment climate within the park. The document approves a regulation providing for greater autonomy for the park's administration by transferring additional powers from local authorities regarding administrative procedures, expanding its scope of activities, supporting startups, and creating preferential conditions for large investment projects with an investment volume of $50 million or more.

"The Council of the Republic is a body of territorial representation, so regional cooperation between our regions, cities, and provinces is very valuable to us. We are ready to provide all possible assistance and are interested in implementing proposals from the Chinese side," the Head of the Council of the Republic expressed her confidence.

Natalia Kochanova noted the high level of cooperation in the healthcare sector. "When the pandemic came to China, Belarus provided humanitarian assistance. In addition, we are sincerely grateful to the leadership and people of the PRC for the support they are currently providing us when trouble has also come to our country: this includes medical equipment, personal protective equipment, medicines, and vaccines," she thanked.

During his six months as ambassador to our country, Xie Xiaoyong notes that the political, social, and economic situation in Belarus is improving. "Despite the fact that the epidemic situation is still seriously affecting the world, the Belarusian economy has shown good development in difficult times. In the first five months of this year, the Belarusian economy grew by 3.1%, which is valuable in the overall passive global economic development," he said, addressing Natalia Kochanova. "A major political event - the All-Belarusian People's Assembly - was successfully held in February and had an important result for the country. Thanks to this effective platform, you have mobilized society to unite the country for further development. In addition, a good process for constitutional reform is currently underway in Belarus, which is significant for the country's further sustainable development as a whole. For all the successes achieved, both in the political, social, and economic spheres, as friends of the Belarusian people, we are sincerely glad."

The Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the development of Belarusian-Chinese relations. "The comprehensive, trust-based, strategic partnership between China and Belarus is developing steadily and fruitfully, primarily thanks to the work of the leadership and the personal attention of the leaders of the two countries. Our political mutual trust is currently strengthening, as are contacts at high and top levels," he concluded.

Source: belta.by