Belarus and Kyrgyzstan have a long history of friendly relations, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Igor Nazaruk said at the reception dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Belarus-Kyrgyzstan diplomatic relations. The reception took place at the House of Friendship in Minsk on 17 January, BelTA has learned.
Igor Nazaruk emphasized that cooperation between Belarus and Kyrgyzstan has a long history. The peoples of the two countries fought together against the Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War, which was an important part of the common history. A street in Minsk was named after the Hero of the Soviet Union Zhumash Asanaliyev who took part in the liberation of Belarus from the enemy.
Belarus and Kyrgyzstan are not big in size, but their voices are heard in the international arena, the deputy minister stressed. “We are an example of peace-loving and friendly partners that prioritize peace and well-being of peoples,” he said. Belarus and Kyrgyzstan will also cooperate at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where Belarus will soon become a full member.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kyrgyzstan to Belarus Ermek Ibraimov noted that the 30th anniversary of diplomatic contacts is an important milestone in the relations between the two states and peoples: “We can surely say that the chronicle of friendship between Belarus and Kyrgyzstan started long ago, back in the Soviet period when the two nations were part of a big country.”
Belarus and Kyrgyzstan are determined to maintain friendly relations and strengthen contacts, especially trade and economic ones. Ermek Ibraimov emphasized that Belarusian agricultural machinery, which is of high quality, is very popular in Kyrgyzstan. In this regard, he recalled a story about a Belarusian tractor. At a Belarusian exhibition in Kyrgyzstan, a local farmer insisted on selling him one of the new Belarusian tractors that was on display. Eventually the persistent buyer left the exhibition with the new tractor and was very pleased with the purchase.
Chairperson of the Belarus-Kyrgyzstan society, Chairperson of the Zaslavl Executive Committee Svetlana Kartasheva stressed that Belarus values relations with Kyrgyzstan.
Artists from Zaslavl – Aleksandr Borovik, Polina Pavlovskaya, Lyubov Matskevich – performed music pieces. BSEU students Maria Kondratovich, Polina Degtyareva, Ilya Bondarenko recited works by Chinghiz Aitmatov.
Attending the reception were representatives of the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Minsk, members of the Belarus-Kyrgyzstan society, activists of the Belarusian Society for Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, representatives of the Minsk branch of the public association Union of Writers of Belarus.
-Belta