Press Release

Visit by EAM to Belarus and Turkmenistan (16-19 September 2009)

15/09/2009

Shri S.M. Krishna, External Affairs Minister, will be paying an official visit to Belarus and Turkmenistan from 16-19 September 2009.

2. EAM will visit Belarus from 16 to17 September. EAM will call on H.E. Mr. Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus. He will hold wide-ranging talks with his counterpart, H.E. Mr. Sergey Martynov, Foreign Minister of Belarus. Two bilateral agreements will be signed during the course of his visit, i.e. an Agreement on Cooperation in Physical Education and Sports and an MoU on the Establishment of a Digital Learning Centre in Minsk.

3. This will be the first visit by the External Affairs Minister of India to Belarus. This visit aims to consolidate the relationship with Belarus, a country with which India has excellent bilateral ties. Government of India is setting up a Digital Learning Centre in Minsk as an economic assistance project in collaboration with the Government of Belarus. The Digital Learning Centre will impart skills in advanced computing and software creation to young Belarusian students, initially with Indian faculty members and thereafter with trained Belarusian professionals.

4. After completing his visit to Belarus, the External Affairs Minister will pay an official visit to Turkmenistan on 18 and 19 September 2009. EAM will call on His Excellency President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov and will hold meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. Rashid Meredov. EAM will also have a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in-charge of Oil and Gas sector Mr. Baymyrat Hojamuhammedov. A Programme of Cooperation between Ministry of External Affairs of India and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan will be signed during the visit.

5. EAM’s visit to Turkmenistan will reaffirm the strong bilateral ties India and Turkmenistan enjoy. The visit is also in keeping with the high level exchanges with Turkmenistan. It may be recalled that Hon’ble Vice President had visited Turkmenistan in April 2008 and earlier in January 2008, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, Mr. Rashid Meredov, had led a high level delegation to India.

New Delhi
September 15, 2009