Azerbaijan can count on Belarus as its closest friend, Lukashenko tells Aliyev
MINSK. Nov 28 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan can count on Belarus as its closest friend, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.
"Naturally, you can count on us as your closest friends. If we can be useful to Azerbaijan in some way, we will always do that. You are well aware of our potential, you're a big friend of Belarus," Lukashenko said at a meeting with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Monday, the Belarusian leader's press office said.
"There are no closed topics for us, we do and will cooperate in all areas," he said. "Our cooperation is not hurting anyone, we are open and will be open and public in discussing the most pressing issues of our reality," Lukashenko said.
For his part, Aliyev said that "our meetings have been regular." "This goes to show that ours is the closest and friendliest relationship. We are determined to actively continue our cooperation with Belarus in all areas. Today the bilateral format covers virtually every sphere of life, and cooperation in the traditional spheres is growing. We also decide on new areas [of cooperation]," he said.
Over the past few years Belarus and Azerbaijan have solved very many issues concerning bilateral cooperation, the Azeri leader said. "We are friends and partners. We have always supported one another in all issues. I am certain that today's visit will give a new push to develop our cooperation," Aliyev said.
It was reported that Lukashenko is on official visit to Azerbaijan on November 28-29.