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
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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
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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
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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
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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