Ukrainian president, Belarusian foreign minister discuss bilateral relations
KYIV/MINSK. Aug 26 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei discussed relevant aspects of bilateral relations between Ukraine and Belarus at a meeting in Kyiv.
Poroshenko and Makei "emphasized the importance of the completion of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border's equipment in keeping with the best international standards," the Ukrainian presidential press service reported following the meeting.
The Ukrainian president and the Belarusian foreign minister attached particular significance to economic cooperation between the two countries. They shared the view that it was reasonable to intensify trade and economic relations by expanding cooperation in the machine-building, energy, agribusiness, and transport sectors. Poroshenko and Makei also agreed that it is important to arrange another meeting of the Ukrainian-Belarusian intergovernmental joint commission in Minsk in September.
Ukraine is interested in developing a network of educational institutions to provide favorable opportunities for studying the Ukrainian language in areas where ethnic Ukrainians live in communities in Belarus.
"The Belarusian minister thanked the Ukrainian president for assistance in resuming a constructive dialogue between Belarus and the European Union," the Ukrainian presidential said.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry press service said Poroshenko thanked Belarus "for the brilliant organization of the Minsk negotiations on settling the situation in eastern Ukraine" and stressed that the Minsk Agreements are "a foundation for the conflict's peaceful settlement that has no alternative."
Makei assured Poroshenko that Minsk is willing to continue doing all it can to promote peace in Ukraine, it said.