Lukashenko: Belarus is China's only ally in Europe.
Lukashenko assured China that the friendship between the two countries would continue for decades and potentially outlive his presidency.
MINSK, February 27 (Sputnik) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko described his country as China's only ally in Europe during his trip to Beijing.
"Let's face it: Belarus is the only place in central Europe that maintains a friendly—or I could say fraternal—attitude toward China," the Belarusian leader told Chinese media in an interview broadcast on Monday.
Lukashenko assured China that the friendship between the two countries would continue for decades and potentially outlive his presidency.
"This will always be true. Not just while I am president of Belarus. Other presidents will maintain this position because it has been internalized by our people," he suggested.
China and Belarus have forged a comprehensive strategic partnership that was widely appreciated in Minsk during the years of sanctions imposed by the West, the president added.
Lukashenko invited Chinese companies to work in Belarus and suggested that China's "One Belt One Road" initiative could be harmonized with the supply chains of the Eurasian Economic Union to streamline trade between the two markets.
"We would gain a lot here from logistics and direct trade, as well as from the exchange of advanced technologies... We recently discussed ways to deepen cooperation with the Chinese at the CIS and EAEU leaders' summits, mainly as part of the 'One Belt One Road' initiative," he said.
He also accused the United States of creating a barrier between China and Europe to contain the world's second-largest economy. He said Washington is intensifying its human rights rhetoric in an attempt to start a civil war in China and suggested that Beijing could "balance" the US and help create a multipolar world order.