Belarus, China to Boost Coordination of Efforts in Economy, Foreign Policy, Lukashenko Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belarus and China are set to boost joint coordination of efforts in foreign policy and economy at the present stage of international relations as well as deepen bilateral cooperation, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday.

"I am convinced that at the present stage of international relations Belarus and China will boost joint coordination of efforts in the areas of foreign policy and economy and fulfill new initiatives to deepen bilateral cooperation," Lukashenko said in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping with greetings on the 73rd China National Day.

The Belarusian president also said that the level of Minsk-Beijing partnership was elevated to multilateral strategic cooperation at the latest Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last month.

He added that Minsk remains an active participant in the Chinese initiative "One Belt, One Road" and its integration with the Eurasian Economic Union, "together with Beijing contributes to the formation of a new just world order, where the voice of every state without exception is respected."

Minsk and Beijing have established relations of comprehensive strategic partnership as a result of negotiations between Lukashenko and Xi at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from September 15-16.

China's National Day is a public holiday celebrated on October 1 to commemorate the official proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949.