Meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Gedion Timothewos

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Gedion Timothewos on 29 July.

"Ethiopia is one of the most important countries in East Africa for us. Since Soviet times, we have had warm relations and high hopes for future cooperation," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. "Ethiopia is a vast country with over 130 million people. We clearly see the areas where cooperation with us will be beneficial for you."

The President expressed confidence that, given the mutual interest in cooperation and long-standing ties between Belarus and Ethiopia, the two countries can significantly increase their trade. "We met with your prime minister in Kazan [at the BRICS summit] and agreed that the foreign ministries of Ethiopia and Belarus would develop a specific plan, a roadmap, for our cooperation, which we are doing now," Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

He assured Ethiopia's foreign affairs minister that Belarus will honor all its obligations once the agreements are reached. "We are eager to supply Ethiopia with a full range of essential engineering products. We are also prepared to ship farm machines and equipment. In addition, we are willing to transfer relevant technologies and train your specialists in their use," the head of state said, outlining key areas of cooperation.

The President asked Gedion Timothewos to convey his warmest regards to the country's leadership and reiterated Belarus' openness to cooperation in all areas. "Mr Minister, let me reiterate: we are very eager to enhance our cooperation with your country," he remarked.

The head of state also thanked Ethiopia for its efforts in supporting Belarus' recognition as a BRICS partner. "We hope you will continue to support us within this organization," he added.

In turn, Gedion Timothewos thanked Aleksandr Lukashenko for the opportunity to meet and conveyed warm greetings from the prime minister and President of Ethiopia. "There are strong cultural and historical ties between our countries. We also have common approaches to values, history, and religion. Even today, many people in our country fondly recall their studies here during the Soviet era. These individuals continue to foster and maintain strong relations between our nations," the minister said.