Lukashenko: Belarus is China's Only Ally in Europe

MINSK (Sputnik) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has described his country as China's only ally in Europe, during his trip to Beijing.

"Let's admit it: Belarus is the only place in the center of Europe that maintains a friendly — or I could say brotherly — attitude toward China," the Belarusian leader told Chinese media in an interview aired Monday.

Lukashenko assured China that friendship between the two countries would continue for decades to come and potentially outlast his presidency.

"This will always be true. Not only while I am president of Belarus. Other presidents will stick to this position because it has been internalized by our people," he suggested.

China and Belarus have forged a comprehensive strategic partnership that has been widely appreciated in Minsk during the years of sanctions imposed on it by the West, the president said further.

Lukashenko invited Chinese companies to come and work in Belarus and suggested that China's "One Belt One Road" connectivity initiative could be harmonized with the Eurasian Economic Union's supply chains to streamline trade between the two markets.

"We would win a lot here from both logistics and direct trade as well as from exchanging advanced technologies… We have recently discussed ways to deepen cooperation with the Chinese at the summits of CIS and EAEU leaders, primarily as part of the 'One Belt One Road' concept," he said.

He also accused the United States of driving a wedge between China and Europe to contain the world's second largest economy. He said Washington was ramping up human rights rhetoric in a bid to start a civil war in China and suggested that China could "balance out" the US and help create a multipolar world order.