Belarusian president sets off on visit to UAE
MINSK. Nov 1 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has set off on a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"Contacts that will take place with the leadership of this country and business circles in the coming days will come as a follow-up to the two countries' long-term friendship and cooperation and the official talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who paid his first official visit to Belarus in September this year," the state news agency BelTA said.
Lukashenko told the media earlier this week that he was intending to visit the Middle East, but at the time did not name the country he was planning to travel to.
He said that his upcoming trip would also be a chance to get away from routine life for a few days.
"I will have these three days at least to dip my feet in that [Persian] gulf. It won't be a proper vacation. A president doesn't have deputies," Lukashenko said.