LUKASHENKO RECEIVES IRANIAN FM, ANNOUNCES VISIT TO TEHRAN

UNCLAS MINSK 000981 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD BO SUBJECT: LUKASHENKO RECEIVES IRANIAN FM, ANNOUNCES VISIT TO TEHRAN Ref: A. Minsk 787 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) President Aleksandr Lukashenko on September 7 urged Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to use his two-day visit to Minsk to dramatically bolster bilateral economic cooperation and accepted the Iranian president's invitation to visit Tehran. In a separate meeting with Belarusian Foreign Minister Martynov and chairman of the National Assembly's House of Representatives Konoplyov, Mottaki thanked Belarus for supporting Tehran in the international arena and noted Iranian plans to increase annual trade with Belarus two-fold to USD 1 billion per year. The considerable state media attention to the visit demonstrates the Lukashenko regime's policy to deceive the Belarusian people into believing their president is a respected world leader. End summary. Belarus and Iran Deepen Ties -------------- ¶2. (U) Lukashenko stressed to Mottaki his hopes that bilateral cooperation and trade between Belarus and Iran increase. In addition to the planned one-on-one meetings on the margins of the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Cuba, Mottaki passed to Lukashenko a personal invitation from Iranian President Ahmadinejad to visit Tehran. Mottaki noted that Lukashenko's trip to Iran would accelerate bilateral agreements between their two countries. Lukashenko accepted the invitation, stressing that Iran was Belarus' "reliable" partner. [Note: State and independent Belarusian press did not give a date for Lukashenko's trip to Tehran. However, upon his return to Iran, Mottaki told reporters Lukashenko would arrive in Tehran in November. End note.] ¶3. (SBU) Mottaki praised to Chairman of the House of Representatives Vladimir Konoplyov Belarus' and Iran's governments for creating favorable conditions for bilateral economic cooperation. According to Mottaki, Iran hopes to double annual trade with Belarus to USD 1 billion in 2007. In a separate meeting, Mottaki and Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Martynov discussed 15 Belarusian-Iranian economic projects, including factory/plant and hotel construction and cooperation in the banking sector. It should be noted that at least some of the joint projects, such as production of Iranian automobiles in Belarus, are elaborate Potemkin villages. Iran Thanks Belarus For International Political Support -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) Mottaki thanked the Belarusian officials for supporting Iran in the international arena, specifically in regard to Iran's nuclear program, which he called a peaceful and transparent project. Mottaki chastised U.S. "threats," calling them old-world tactics, adding that Belarus and Iran do not advocate nuclear weapon proliferation. Martynov replied that Belarus had no grounds to question the "peaceful nature" of Iran's nuclear program. Comment -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Iranian Foreign Minister's visit received considerable state media attention. Lukashenko, isolated from the West and reportedly disliked by Putin, relishes any chance to present himself to the Belarusian public as a prominent international leader and will likely travel to Tehran. Coming on the heels of Hugo Chavez's July travel to Belarus (reftel),there is every indication that the GOB is seeking to associate with avowed opponents of the Unite States. MOORE