Belarus amb. stresses success of Shoukry's visit to Minsk

CAIRO - 29 Aug 2017: Belarus Ambassador in Cairo Sergei A. Rachkov said on Tuesday that Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry's first visit to Minsk, which included a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, was successful.

Shoukry and Lukashenko discussed the different aspects of bilateral relations and progress achieved in agreements signed during Lukashenko's visit to Cairo in January.

Ambassador Rachkov, in statements to MENA, reaffirmed Lukashenko's commitment to putting into effect all deals signed with Egypt, vowing to do 'anything' for the interest of the Egyptian people.

The Belarus president invited President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to visit Minsk.

Shoukry's talks with Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei took up the situation in the Middle East and east Europe, Rachkov said, adding that Belarus deems Egypt a key player at both the regional and international levels.

The foreign ministers discussed the developments of cooperation between Egypt and Belarus in the fields of tourism, economy, trade and education, as well as prospects of boosting such cooperation.

The Belarus envoy underscored his country's support for the establishment of a free-trade zone (FTZ) between Egypt and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Trade exchange between Egypt and Belarus increased by 60 percent following President Lukashenko's visit to Egypt, Rachkov pointed out.

Shoukry and Makei agreed on outlining a road-map between the two countries that will be signed during Sisi's visit to Belarus, the ambassador went on to say.