Belarusian President Lukashenko to meet Xi in China: presidency

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a staunch ally of Moscow, is visiting China Sunday and Monday to meet his
counterpart Xi Jinping, the Belarusian presidency said.

On Monday, he will hold talks with Xi on issues including “trade, the
economy, investment and international cooperation”, the presidency said in a
statement Sunday, without specifying if Lukashenko had already arrived in
Beijing.

Lukashenko was last in China at the end of February and early March, a visit
that was closely scrutinised in the context of Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.

The Russian offensive was not mentioned in the Belarusian statement on the
visit.

China, a close partner of Moscow, has never publicly condemned Russia for its
offensive, despite calls to do so by the United States, its European allies
and others.

Belarus borders both Ukraine and Russia, countries it is highly dependent on
both financially and politically. (BSS/AFP)