OREANDA-NEWS. August 29, 2016.  President Petro Poroshenko met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makey. The parties discussed the topical issues on the agenda of bilateral relations between Ukraine and Belarus.

The Belarusian Minister thanked the President of Ukraine for facilitating the renewal of constructive dialogue between Belarus and the European Union.

Special attention was devoted to the economic cooperation between the two countries. The parties noted it would be reasonable to intensify trade and economic relations by extending the cooperation in machine building, energy, agro-industrial and transport sectors. They underscored the importance of holding the next meeting of Ukraine-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission this September in Minsk.

The parties also stressed the importance of completing the infrastructure development on the state border between Ukraine and Belarus according to the best world’s standards.

The President expressed the interest of Ukraine to develop an educational institutional network in order to establish favourable conditions for learning Ukrainian language in the areas densely inhabited by ethnic Ukrainians in Belarus.

At the meeting, the parties also addressed the organizing of joint cultural events on the occasion of 345th anniversary of the first Ukrainian Constitution’s author  - Hetman Pylyp Orlyk – who was born in the territory of present-day Minsk region.

Vladimir Makey also conveyed sincere greetings on behalf of the President of Belarus on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine.