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Belarus, China devising strategic partnership program for period until 2020, says Deputy Prime Minister Tozik

Belarus and China are actively devising a strategic partnership program for the period until 2020, Deputy Prime Minister Anatol Tozik, who co-chairs the Belarusian-Chinese Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation, said Friday in Minsk, speaking at meeting held at the House of Friendship on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

According to Mr. Tozik, the program is expected to be signed during Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich's visit to China at the end of 2013.

"This year will go down in the history of our bilateral relations as a year full of extremely important events and the most systemic and dynamic cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries," Mr. Tozik said.

He pointed to Alyaksandr Lukashenka's visit to China in July as the most important event.

According to him, the Belarusian leader’s meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, were held in an “exceptionally friendly” atmosphere.

More than 30 bilateral agreements in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres were signed during Mr. Lukashenka's visit to China, Mr. Tozik said.

According to him, the joint declaration of the establishment of strategic partnership between Belarus and China, which was signed by the presidents of the two countries reflects the current level of Belarusian-Chinese relations.

Mr. Tozik pointed out that the declaration also implied certain responsibility as the two countries would now have to establish relations that would be mutually beneficial and based on mutual trust and mutual support.

The September visit of Liu Yunshan, first secretary of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, testifies to China's interest in the development of strategic partnership relations with Belarus, Mr. Tozik said. //BelaPAN.