"I will visit the cities of Khankendi and Shusha as part of a delegation of diplomatic corps and military attachés," Ambassador of Belarus to Azerbaijan, Dmitry Pinevich, during a traditional meeting with representatives of the national media at the Belarusian Embassy in Azerbaijan.
This is not the ambassador's first visit to the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation. He had previously visited Aghdam and toured the Agro-Industrial Complex currently under construction. The complex will be completed by 2027, The Caspian Post reports citing Azertac.
"During my first visit to Karabakh, I was struck by three things: on the one hand, the scale of the destruction; on the other, the extensive reconstruction work; and also the ongoing demining process. I hope that this time I will come away with even more positive impressions," Pinevich emphasized.
The ambassador also recalled the state visit of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko to Azerbaijan last year. That visit marked the first time a non-Turkish head of state visited the liberated territories of Karabakh. At the time, Lukashenko traveled to the city of Shusha, regarded as the pearl of Karabakh, and presented two tractors for the city's municipal services.
Touching on the political dialogue between the two countries, the ambassador stated that Belarus-Azerbaijan relations have reached the level of strategic and brotherly partnership. According to him, this partnership is based on mutual respect and the long-standing friendship between the two nations. Presidents Aleksandr Lukashenko and Ilham Aliyev, he noted, are demonstrating a model of constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation across various sectors, ensuring the continued high-level development of bilateral ties.
“Over the 32 years of diplomatic relations, the two leaders have made 12 official visits and met numerous times at international forums. Our bilateral legal framework now includes more than 120 documents covering all areas of cooperation. In June of last year, the Road Map for Cooperation for 2025-2026 was updated. More high-level visits are expected,” Pinevich added.
He also noted that in February of this year, Belarus expressed support for the Baku Guiding Principles on Human Development for Climate Resilience.
"I would like to emphasize that Belarus is always ready to support our Azerbaijani friends and partners. This support is mutual. Azerbaijan backed Belarus’s candidacy for observer status in the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and Minsk supported Baku’s extension of its chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network,” the ambassador said.
Speaking about trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, the diplomat highlighted that trade turnover between Belarus and Azerbaijan increased 1.5 times in 2024. “The work of the intergovernmental commission continues successfully, and the next meeting is scheduled to take place in Baku this June,” he said.
The diplomat also drew attention to cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian fields, noting in particular the exhibition of Belarusian sculptor Andrey Ostashov at the Heydar Aliyev Center. He added that preparations are underway for a tour in Baku by the well-known ensemble “Pesniary” and for the organization of Azerbaijani Culture Days in Belarus.
The ambassador further stated that Belarusian athletes will participate in large numbers in the 3rd CIS Games to be held in Azerbaijan this autumn.
