Lukashenka told details about the timing and topics of a future conversation with Xi Jinping

September 22, MINSK. President of Belarus ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO spoke about the timing and topics of a future conversation with President of the People's Republic of CHINA Xi Jinping. The HEAD of state made a corresponding statement with Yang Jianqiang, First Vice President of Citic Construction, BelTA has learned.

“There are a number of issues that we should discuss with you, because you are the largest company that operates in Belarus,” Alexander Lukashenko addressed Yan Jianqiang at the beginning of the conversation. “All this is due to the fact that I need to thoroughly prepare for the conversation completely soon, as agreed, with President Xi Jinping."

"We also held a detailed meeting on the soil of Samarkand (during the SCO summit. - Approx. BelTA) with the Chairman (PRC Xi Jinping. - Approx. BelTA), discussed all the economic issues of our interaction, including issues that are within the scope of your competencies and responsibilities, and agreed that after the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China (which is scheduled to begin on October 16, 2022. - Note by BelTA), we will talk more thoroughly about the economy, politics, and military-technical cooperation ", - said the Belarusian leader.

China is traditionally one of the three major trade partners of Belarus. From January to July 2022, bilateral trade totaled $3.1 billion, up more than 10% from the same period last year. At the same time, Belarusian exports almost doubled (by 96.4%), exceeding $972 million. Belarus mainly supplies potash fertilizers, beef, poultry MEAT, timber, MILK and cream, cellulose, electronic integrated circuits, and specific goods to China. With the Chinese side, sectoral EXPORT applications for $2 billion of possible supplies of Belarusian products are being worked out.

This year there is also an increase in investment activity from China . According to the results of the first half of 2022, the volume of direct investments from China to Belarus amounted to $50.6 million, which is more than one and a half times higher than in 2021.

At the end of 2021, the mutual turnover of goods and services came close to $6 billion ($5.85 billion). In terms of goods turnover, the two countries reached a record volume of $5.1 billion.