Belarus places special emphasis on expanding cooperation with countries of the Global South, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich said as he addressed the Strategic Forum on Indonesia-Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Free Trade Agreement.
“Belarus is chairing the Eurasian Economic Union this year. Developing mutually beneficial cooperation with the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is among the priorities of the Belarusian EAEU chairmanship. Belarus views Indonesia as a key partner in the Southeast Asian region,” Viktor Karankevich noted.
Despite geographical distance, Belarus and Indonesia have much in common, the deputy prime minister emphasized. “Our countries pursue a foreign policy aimed at forging constructive relations with foreign partners based on mutual trust and respect,” he said.
Belarus places special emphasis on expanding cooperation with Global South countries. In 2024, Belarus became a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and a partner of BRICS. In 2025, Indonesia joined BRICS as a full member of the organization. This creates additional opportunities for dialogue and cooperation on a mutually beneficial basis for economic development.
“The economies of Belarus and Indonesia complement each other. We supply Indonesia with food products and fertilizers, which are important for strengthening the country’s food security. We are eager to further enhance cooperation in this strategic area. In turn, Belarus imports a wide range of products from Indonesia: palm oil, cocoa butter, household appliances, and pharmaceuticals. We see good prospects for deepening cooperation and for our business entities to implement new projects across the broadest range of sectors,” Viktor Karankevich emphasized.
On 24 November, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed Decree No.413, which approved the draft free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its member states on one side and Indonesia on the other as the foundation for negotiations. Thus, Belarus is fully prepared to sign this agreement. “It is no exaggeration to say that the establishment of a free trade area will open a new chapter in the development of trade and economic ties between the EAEU countries and Indonesia, allowing for an increase and significant expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation,” the Belarusian deputy prime minister stressed.
The forum gathered representatives of Belarusian businesses from various economic sectors: mechanical engineering, petrochemicals, and agriculture. “I hope that today’s meeting will enable representatives of government agencies, chambers of commerce and industry, industry associations, and businessmen from Indonesia, Belarus, and other EAEU countries to find new partners and fully utilize the opportunities that will arise after the establishment of the free trade area. We expect that this forum will lead to practical agreements, which in turn will create conditions for improving the standard of living in our countries,” Viktor Karankevich concluded.
