Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA-Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in Damascus, Yuri Sluka, has affirmed that the friendly relations between his country and Syria are deep-rooted and constantly developing, and that the doors are open for bilateral cooperation in various domains.
Sluka’s remarks came in an interview with SANA on the occasion of his country’s National Day, which is observed on the day Belarus was liberated from Nazism on July 3rd.
“The Republic of Belarus has remained and will remain a faithful friend to Syria, and true friendship appears in times of adversity,” the Belarusian Ambassador said.
Sluka stressed that Belarus and Syria will overcome all the difficulties that face them and will not allow the West to interfere in their internal affairs.
He added, “We understand the situation that Syria has been going through since the beginning of the war waged against it until now, and this gave us a greater motivation to provide all possible assistance to Syria to overcome these circumstances, as the two countries seek to enhance ways of cooperation between them in all sectors, but the economic sanctions imposed on both countries prevented us from reaching the required level of trade exchange volume.”
On the mechanism for following up on the existing cooperation between the two countries, Ambassador Sluka said that the existing mechanism between the two countries is the Joint Committee for Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation, which held its eighth session this year in Belarus, where at the end of the meetings a protocol for cooperation in all fields was signed.
He added that the ministries in the two countries are working to implement this protocol.
“Coordination has been made with the Syrian side on these mechanisms according to its needs and requirements, and we will continue to cooperate with Syria and provide it with support,” Ambassador Sluka said, referring to the humanitarian aid provided by his country to Syria, which includes medicines, foodstuffs, electrical equipment, generators and transport trucks.
He revealed that preparations are underway to receive about 80 Syrian children to participate in recreational camps in Belarus in mid-August.
On the development taking place in Belarus, the ambassador said that his country, since its independence, has been under siege and economic pressures, and despite that, it has managed to withstand and establish an independent state that is economically, politically and socially sovereign and has established advanced industries, including the manufacture of heavy machinery and technology.
Ambassador Sluka added that his country developed the agricultural economy during the last five years and achieved food sufficiency, which enabled it to withstand the economic sanctions, stressing that Belarus will remain a sovereign country that is not subject to any external pressures or dictations.
He said that although there are countries that refrain from using fertilizers produced by Belarus, on the other hand, there are countries that want these fertilizers and need them to support their agricultural sector, such as Syria.
According to Sluka, his country, in cooperation with the Russian Federation, is working to secure the country’s borders from any danger, especially after the escalation of NATO on the western and northern borders of the country.
The Ambassador of Belarus stressed that his country, since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, has always called for a political solution to the crisis in it through dialogue.
“Ukraine is a neighboring country and its people are brothers to us… and also for the Russians. It is not easy to see war…But the security of our republic is in the first place… Of course we are forced with our Russian partners to confront the Western campaign directed against us…The West does not want to see our country in peace and prosperity… and the Syrian state has suffered from the same Western campaign against it,” Sluka said.
At the conclusion of his speech, the ambassador stressed that Syria and Belarus will overcome all difficulties and will not allow the West to interfere in their internal affairs, way of life or the development of their peoples.
Manar Salameh/ Ruaa al-Jazaeri
