Mr Boris Batura had a meeting with the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran

       On 10 December 2008 Mr Boris Batura, Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, had a meeting with Mr Seyed Abdollah Hosseini, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus. Ms Nina Mazay, Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic for Foreign Affairs and National Security, also took part in the meeting.

       A wide range of questions related to Belarusian-Iranian interaction in political, economic and other spheres of activity was discussed during the meeting. Mr Boris Batura, Chairman of the Council of the Republic, noted that the level of political contacts between Belarus and Iran was very high. In particular visits on a higher level took place during past two years. These visits gave an impetus to the development of bilateral relations and defined the prospects of Belarusian-Iranian cooperation. The interaction between the legislative bodies of the Republic of Belarus and the Islamic Republic of Iran is actively developing. For example, a visit of Belarusian parliamentary delegation to Teheran at the invitation of the leadership of the Islamic Consultative Assembly is scheduled for 2009. It is planned to create a working group on cooperation with the Parliament of Iran in the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus for the purpose of further intensification of interparliamentary relations. Our countries actively cooperate at the international arena within the framework of the United Nations Organisation and the Non-Aligned Movement. Bilateral trade and economic relations are developing in a very constructive manner as well.

       Mr Seyed Abdollah Hosseini noted in return that cooperation with the Republic of Belarus was a priority for Iran. The Ambassador of Iran highly appraised the level of Belarusian-Iranian political contacts. He noted though that the two countries had a great potential in the spheres of economy and culture. In his opinion the parliaments of Belarus and Iran can play the key role in the development of the cooperation between the two states. He assured that he would exert every effort to intensify the bilateral trade-economic, cultural and scientific-technical interaction.

       The sides underlined the necessity of improving the legal-contractual basis of Belarusian-Iranian relations for the purpose of developing the contacts between the business communities of the two countries.