Belarusian leader Lukashenko to visit Tajikistan

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will arrive on Thursday in Tajikistan for a two-day official visit, a spokesman for the Tajik Foreign Ministry said. “Lukashenko will hold talks with Tajik President Emomalii Rahmon and other state officials during the visit,” the spokesman said. The agenda of the visit includes the signing of an agreement between Tajikistan and Belarus on long-term trade and economic cooperation and a joint statement by the leaders of the two countries. According to the Statistical Agency of Tajikistan, bilateral trade over nine months of this year compared to the same period last year increased by 48%, approaching $53 million. Belarus’ major exports to Tajikistan are sugar, tractors, fluoride, chipboards, tires, furniture, medicines, and refrigerators. Belarus imports mostly cotton fiber and dried fruits from Tajikistan.