Lukashenko sees Armenia as key route to Iran and Persian Gulf

Belarus is interested in accessing Iran and the Persian Gulf through Armenia, President Alexander Lukashenko said following talks in Minsk with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Iranian leader had arrived in Belarus directly from Yerevan.

“Iran is persuading us to make more active use of the logistics corridor that runs through Russia and Iran. Russia, Armenia, Iran, and the Persian Gulf—they are persuading. And this is exactly what we need first and foremost,” Lukashenko said.

According to the Belarusian leader, the launch of a full free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran will expand the geography of trade relations and open new markets for member states.

Earlier it was reported that following the meeting, the presidents of Belarus and Iran signed a joint declaration on the deepening of bilateral relations. The document highlights the “similarity of positions on bilateral, regional, and international issues” and reaffirms the commitment to strengthening the traditional friendly and strategic ties between the Republic of Belarus and the Islamic Republic of Iran.