Today, Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Raimondi met with his counterpart from the Republic of Belarus, Evgeny Shestakov, who made an official visit to Argentina this week.
Both officials underscored the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between both nations in November 2017, as well as the presence of a large Belarusian community in Argentina.
The delegations discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship, such as the commitment to strengthen mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and judicial assistance in civil and commercial matters, as well as to strengthen relations in the fields of education and culture and to promote scientific and technical cooperation, sports diplomacy and parliamentary relations, among other issues. In this regard, Deputy Foreign Minister Shestakov commended the upcoming creation of a Parliamentary Friendship Group with Belarus in the House of Representatives of the Argentine Republic, for the period 2018-2019.
At the meeting, there was consensus on principles such as the strengthening of a multipolar world, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, nuclear non-proliferation, the importance of the United Nations in the international system, the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, sovereign equality of states, respect for political independence and the territorial integrity of states, and the need to shed the last vestiges of colonialism. In this regard, Deputy Foreign Minister Raimondi thanked Belarus for its support for the Argentine sovereignty claim in the Question of the Malvinas Islands.
In addition, both delegations exchanged views on the bilateral economic and trade relationship, particularly on investment and business opportunities. In this regard, they concurred that there are cooperation opportunities in the pharmaceutical, fisheries, agricultural machinery, manufactured food and mining sectors, among others, and agreed it is important for Governments to contribute to spreading those opportunities.
Furthermore, both sides assessed the current situation and prospects for integration processes between MERCOSUR and the Eurasian Economic Union, in addition to the possibility of a growing rapprochement between both blocs. Deputy Foreign Minister Raimondi expressed to his Belarusian counterpart Argentina's support for the accession process of Belarus to the World Trade Organization, reiterating Argentina's commitment to the defence of the multilateral trade system.
Finally, the Deputy Foreign Ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations between both Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the purpose of which is to provide an institutional framework for the review and assessment of the progress made in bilateral relations.
