The Middle East… This region is a crossroads of interests for many states. Both those that are geographically close and those that are far away, even across the ocean. And in the modern world, it is disastrous to fall into someone's sphere of interest – a real mess will ensue… Take Syria and Lebanon, for example. These are by no means poor countries, with rich histories and serious prospects. Yes, they have internal contradictions. But when someone seeks to profit from them, war is inevitable. Belarus, despite everything, regardless of the events unfolding in the Middle East, has never severed ties with friendly states. Moreover, it has always strived to contribute to their development. Why? This is what we will discuss now. In the new episode of the BELTA YouTube project "As a Matter of Fact: The First's Decisions," we will reveal what benefits Belarus seeks in Syria and Lebanon, and whether it is solely about benefits, what message Foreign Minister Maksim Ruzhenkov carried from Lukashenko to these countries, and why, according to the President of Belarus, these states deserve a great future.
What Belarus expects from Syria and Lebanon
Belarus indeed has many friends in the Middle East. Objectively, some of them are wealthier than others. However, as practice has shown, the Belarusian leadership does not think in such terms and does not divide countries into rich and not-so-rich. Yes, with some countries we actively develop investment cooperation, while to others we bring our goods and technologies. But with whomever Alexander Lukashenko holds negotiations, he always emphasises: there are no closed topics.
Belarus has adhered to the same principles in building relations with Syria and Lebanon. No political expediency or interference in internal affairs. Only equal and mutually beneficial dialogue.
"The potential that we have built up over all the years of our diplomatic presence in the Middle East region and in relations with Syria and Lebanon allows us, at this stage – which is in many respects a watershed moment in the lives of both countries – to maintain our strong, stable positions, both in bilateral relations and concerning our stance on the development of the situation in the region as a whole. We are present here solely with the desire for equal and fruitful cooperation in all spheres of our interaction, both on a bilateral basis and in the international arena," stated the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Syria and concurrently to Lebanon and Jordan, Yury Sluka.
When Belarus Began Developing Relations with Lebanon
Let us turn to history. And let's start with Lebanon, which at one time was the financial and banking capital of the Middle East, earning it the unofficial nickname "The Switzerland of the Middle East."
Belarus and Lebanon established diplomatic relations in the spring of 1996 and, without haste but also without undue delay, began laying the foundation for future interaction. In 1997-1998, the countries exchanged visits at the level of foreign ministers, and at the dawn of the new millennium, negotiations between the heads of government took place. In July 2004, the President of Lebanon visited Belarus. And even then, the words of Alexander Lukashenko ran like a common thread through this visit: there are no closed topics.
Incidentally, by that time, about five hundred Lebanese specialists had received education in Belarus. Around 400 more Lebanese were studying at Belarusian universities then. This was probably the highest figure among all foreign countries. And even now, over 600 students from Lebanon study in Belarus annually, with the majority returning to their homeland to boost the socio-economic infrastructure of their country.
"We have just agreed with the President that civilian goods will form the basis of our cooperation. We must significantly increase trade turnover between the two states. But we also noted that there are no closed zones, no closed topics in the relations between our states. And if the Lebanese leadership is interested in issues of military-technical cooperation, cooperation in the field of high technologies, we will gladly support these areas as well. As for the issues of the Middle East, we have practically no disagreements on assessments and views on the problems of Middle East settlement. Without the active participation of the United Nations, peace in the Middle East will be difficult to achieve," Alexander Lukashenko summed up the first negotiations with his counterpart.
What the visit of Lukashenko to Lebanon was remembered for
Less than a year later, in February 2005, the head of state paid a return visit to Lebanon. The negotiations in Beirut continued the dialogue initiated in the Belarusian capital. Alexander Lukashenko was personally met by the President of Lebanon at the airport. In Beirut, the parties agreed on further steps to develop cooperation in priority areas: industry, financial interbank interaction, investment, science, education, and culture.
The Lebanese side, as reported by the press service of the Belarusian leader, showed interest in cooperation in the transport sector, in the field of electrical engineering and machine tool construction, and in the purchase of Belarusian agricultural machinery.
"You always say that you have a small country with a small population, a small nation. I must say that you are the greatest nation, because you have defended your sovereignty and independence single-handedly, independently, and not just defended them, you have liberated your land, but you have liberated your land so that it remains within the ancient borders of your state. I believe that this is the greatest greatness of any nation. And by doing so, you deserve not just respect. You deserve a great future," Alexander Lukashenko told journalists in Beirut.
According to him, Belarus and Lebanon have found many common interests, and in general, our country has strong positions in the Arab world, and support is felt. "And the Arab world has never let us down. Therefore, we come here with great pleasure, feeling this support, and we always come for a good reason. We have no closed topics - from Lebanon, Syria, and so on," the President emphasized.
At that time, Lebanon was ready to become a gateway for Belarus to the Middle Eastern market. Unfortunately, another war and the subsequent internal political crisis reduced the intensity of Belarusian-Lebanese contacts. A large part of the agreements was frozen indefinitely. And even now, the situation in the Middle East is far from ideal, but the Belarusian side has continued and continues the dialogue with Lebanon.
What Ryzhenkov discussed with the leadership of Lebanon
In February 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus visited Lebanon. The Belarusian delegation included businessmen who are ready or already working with this country. Through Lebanon, they are also developing cooperation with other states.
Maksim Ryzhenkov conveyed a message from the head of the Belarusian state to the President of Lebanon. Aleksandr Lukashenko congratulated his Lebanese counterpart on his appointment to this position and invited him to visit Belarus. This invitation was accepted. To reinforce its intentions, Belarus handed over 100 tons of milk powder and 10 ambulances to Lebanon.
"Lebanon is a long-term, good partner for us. And, of course, in these conditions, we cannot abandon relations and wait for everything to normalize to an ideal state here. We see our mission of friendship with Lebanon in helping precisely today, when our support is most needed," stated Maksim Ryzhenkov in an interview with journalists.
Belarus is ready to supply food to Lebanon, assist in the recovery of its agricultural sector and destroyed infrastructure. Of course, it is impossible to implement all of this simultaneously. Moreover, Lebanon currently needs to focus on its domestic political agenda and maintaining interfaith balance. However, the very fact that our countries are engaged in open dialogue, moreover at the highest level, is a very good signal and an example for everyone else.
Why the Head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Flew to Syria
Shortly before, the head of the Belarusian foreign affairs agency visited Syria. Maxim Ryshenkov arrived in Damascus at the invitation of the Syrian side. Just a week before his visit, Alexander Lukashenko, at one of the meetings, mentioned that Syria was offering cooperation. "They are asking for our officials to come and negotiate, to make decisions," the head of state did not hide.
Maxim Ryshenkov discussed "various areas of cooperation aimed at promoting the speedy recovery of Syria" with the Syrian leadership. The Minister presented the Syrian leader with certificates for 50 MAZ buses, donated to the Syrian people by the President and people of Belarus. They will be manufactured and sent to Damascus within the next few months.
At that meeting, Maxim Ryshenkov noted that Minsk is ready to continue humanitarian programs for the rehabilitation of Syrian children, implemented under the patronage of the head of the Belarusian state, which have particularly brought the two peoples closer in recent years. At one time, Alexander Lukashenko, proposing to develop a program for the rest, rehabilitation and education of children from Syria, explained that he was guided by a simple human truth: if you respond to someone's grief, you will be helped in return. And children are sacred.
According to Syrian media, the head of the foreign affairs agency held another interesting meeting in Damascus with the leadership of the General Intelligence Directorate. Intelligence, like diplomacy, prefers discretion. Therefore, we can only speculate about the topics discussed at this meeting and the agreements reached. We can, but we won't.
What Brings Belarus and Syria Closer
Belarus has been providing humanitarian assistance to Syria since 2015. Over this period, four batches of cargo have been delivered to the Syrian side, including baby food, foodstuffs, medicines, medical equipment, blankets, children's clothing and footwear, as well as MAZ vehicles. In 2017-2024, the "Zubronok" camp hosted over 1.3 thousand children from Syria.
The country's leadership surely remembers how two years ago Alexander Lukashenko ordered to send humanitarian aid to earthquake-stricken Syria and to deploy military medics there to assist the population.
"Belarusians have never stood aside from the war in Syria. We have provided and continue to provide humanitarian support to the Syrian people, especially children, and a program for the health improvement of Syrian children in Belarus has been developed. We will continue to act in this direction," emphasized Alexander Lukashenko in November 2017 at a meeting with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Can Belarus and Syria reset their relations
Recently, trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Syria has been developing against a backdrop of challenging conditions. Destruction of transport and social infrastructure, acute shortage of financial resources for the Syrian government, and declining purchasing power of the population... In 2021, mutual trade turnover between the countries amounted to $8.2 million, while in the best years it exceeded $86 million. Belarus exported specific goods, milk powder, whey, medicines, tractors, and semi-trailer trucks to Syria, and imported olive oil, fruits and vegetables, nuts, and coffee.
However, the very fact of Maxim Ryzhenkov's recent visit to Syria indicates that Damascus is ready to develop relations with Minsk. And again, no political conjuncture, only an equal and mutually beneficial dialogue. As stated, the Syrian side intends to reform the transport sector, which means Belarusian equipment may also be in demand. Therefore, the parties discussed the possibility of organizing the assembly of buses and agricultural machinery in Syria, as well as the implementation of other projects.
"All of this was prepared very quickly and efficiently. And the very fact that we were accepted, and accepted really very well and at the highest level (in both cases, meetings were held with heads of state, which were very positive and constructive, and most importantly - open), is a good sign," said the head of the Belarusian diplomatic mission. "They know us here, they remember us, and, it turns out, they are waiting for us. This is another good signal to continue our work and increase the pace of our presence. We have not shown ourselves to be anything unconstructive or negative here. All our actions have always been directed exclusively in a positive direction. I will remind you, for example, of the fact that our medics participated in a UN mission in southern Lebanon. Our military doctors were known not only within the military units; in their free time, they treated local residents."
Nikita Belenchenkov, Director of the Centre for International Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of Belarusian State University, believes that much will depend on the domestic and foreign policy course that the current Syrian government chooses.
"Are they capable of finding a compromise with other countries and are they capable of finding a compromise in the region," he said. "We strive to develop relations with all countries and regions. We are ready to provide all possible assistance in establishing peace in the region. I am not sure that we should take into account these chaotic conflicts and abandon this cooperation. On the contrary, we must support the political situation in these countries in every possible way. Our position, if we support both Syria and Lebanon, is subsequently echoed in other Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman."
The Middle East region is not simple. But Belarus intends to work there, despite any difficulties – they will end someday. And it is necessary to make oneself known now, especially when one's support is urgently needed.
If we wait for ideal conditions to enter these markets, no one will be waiting for us there anymore. No one will even know about us. We will simply be too late. Therefore, we are already there, and we must not leave under any circumstances, reminding everyone of ourselves by all available means. Belarusians are about creation and exclusively constructive interaction.