Belarus recognizes Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity

"Our position will be unwavering. Otherwise I would not come to Georgia,” stated Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko at a press conference yesterday while commenting on his country’s recognition and support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Lukashenko advised the Georgian authorities "to stop the rhetoric and resume dialogue with Moscow" regarding Russia’s deals with occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).

The Belarusian leader started his first ever visit to Georgia on April 22 accompanied by a Belarus delegation, which included 50 companies’ representatives and government officials. He is due to leave Georgia later today.

Georgia's President Giorgi Margvelshvili share the news about his counterpart's visit on his official Twitter account:

President #Lukashenko: I have not been in #Tbilisi, and in fact, neither in #Georgia, except of #Sukhumi. pic.twitter.com/mNWADgQb3W

— President Of Georgia (@MargvelashviliG) April 23, 2015

However during his two-day visit, Georgia and Belarus signed 15 documents, held a Georgia-Belarus business forum and hosted several official meetings.

During a meeting with Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Lukashenko described Georgia as "a legendary country".

Economic ties

After the Belarusian-Georgian business forum, which took place in Tbilisi on 22 April, the sides agreed bilateral trade will make up $200 million USD in the future.

Lukashenko emphasized that although in 2014 bilateral trade reached $65 million USD, this was the same as in 2013. "Of course this is not a volume that can suit us. Therefore, our talks focused on the development of trade and economic relations between the countries.” Lukashenko reminded that in spite of Georgia's withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the two countries had preserved a free trade regime.

The presidents of Belarus and Georgia agreed that industrial cooperation will be the main priority of bilateral relations. "It is easy to trade but it is more difficult to set up joint ventures to make necessary products and sell them all over the world. But it is feasible,” believed the Belarusian leader.

Two Presidents in the focus of media. Photo by Georgia's President's press office. 

The sides also agreed to implement pilot projects to establish assembly plants in Georgia for Belarusian elevators and various models of tractors.

"We will start with that. And I am sure that we will implement these projects in a year or two,” said Lukashenko.

The Georgian President responded that Georgia’s deeper economic ties with the European Union and Belarus’ further integration with the Customs Union should not be a hindrance to relations between the two countries. "On the contrary, that should give a new impetus to the economies of Georgia and Belarus. We seek new unions and new opportunities rather than new barriers.”

Margvelashvili said Georgia would like to learn how Belarus managed to produce 80 percent of the agricultural production that’s currently available in the Belarusian market.

Political ties

Speaking about political relations, Lukashenko mentioned with satisfaction the constructive level of interaction in international negotiations platforms such as the OSCE and the Eastern Partnership Initiative between the two countries. At the meeting the heads of state also discussed the opening of a Belarusian diplomatic mission in Georgia. "We are also eager to enhance inter-parliamentary dialogue between our countries, we expect that the MPs of Belarus and Georgia will prepare legislative initiatives aimed at the stimulation of industrial cooperation,” he said.

"There are no political contradictions between us. I am grateful to the former president and to you for supporting us in the West.”

"We should have met with you in this legendary city and country long ago. Unfortunately, I have never been to Tbilisi before. Perhaps I should have visited this city long ago because our people have always respected the Georgian people. I told you already that it is a shame I have never been to Tbilisi before; actually I’ve never been in Georgia except for Sokhumi [in Abkhazia] – and that was in the Soviet era,” Lukashenko said.”

He also held meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia and visit Batumi on the second day of his visit. Georgia's Prime Minister assessed the meeting on his Twitter account:

Had productive and interesting mtng w/ President of #Belarus#Lukashenko. Also #Tbilisi hosted Georgian-Belarusian #BusinessForum

— Irakli Garibashvili (@PrimeMinisterGE) April 23, 2015

What agreements did Georgia-Belarus sign?

Georgia and Belarus signed a package of cooperation agreements including 15 documents during the Belarusian president’s current visit to Tbilisi.

Lukashenko and Margvelashvili confirmed their respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognised borders in inter-state relations in a joint statement issued after the talks on Thursday.

The Belarusian and Georgian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Agriculture, Finance, Education and Public Health signed cooperation agreements on Thursday. The Ministries of Justice, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Academies of Science signed Memorandums of Understanding. The Belarusian and Georgian Interior Ministries struck anti-crime deals; a readmission agreement and a protocol to implement the readmission agreement.

The second day of the visit finished in Batumi, where a number of agreements were signed.