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Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Maxim Ryzhenkov, has arrived in New Delhi on an official visit to India from November 15 to 18, during which he will co-chair the 12th Meeting of the Belarus-India Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) on Cooperation in the Fields of Trade, Economy, Science, Technology and Culture.
Confirming his arrival, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X on Sunday said, "Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Mr. Maxim Ryzhenkov has arrived in New Delhi on an official visit. During the visit, he will co-chair the India-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission with Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada, and also hold talks with Minister of State for External Affairs KV Singh." According to a statement issued by the MEA on Friday, Ryzhenkov will participate in the 12th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on November 16 at Vanijya Bhavan, alongside Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada. Later in the day, the Belarusian Foreign Minister is scheduled to participate in a roundtable interaction with members of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at the India Habitat Centre. On November 17, Ryzhenkov will hold a meeting with Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh before departing India on November 18, the MEA statement said. The visit follows a meeting between Ryzhenkov and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in September. Highlighting the progress in bilateral relations following the meeting, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X, "Strong momentum in Belarus-India relations: Belarus FM Maxim Ryzhenkov meets India External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on the sidelines of BRICS Summit. Bilateral trade crossed $1bn, work begins on the 20262030 roadmap, and Belarus introduces e-visas for Indian nationals alongside plans for new direct flight connections." India and Belarus share traditionally warm and cordial bilateral relations, with India being among the first countries to recognise Belarus as an independent nation in 1991. Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992, when India opened its diplomatic mission in Minsk. The two countries have developed a comprehensive partnership supported by several institutional mechanisms, including Foreign Office Consultations, the Intergovernmental Commission and the Joint Commission on Military Technical Cooperation, along with other thematic bilateral mechanisms. The Indian community in Belarus comprises around 99 permanent residents and 1,276 temporary residents, including 846 students, most of whom are pursuing medical studies at state medical universities in the country. Belarus is also part of India's e-visa programme. Direct flights between Minsk and Delhi were launched by Belavia in August 2023. Ryzhenkov's visit is expected to provide an opportunity to further engage through established bilateral mechanisms, with the 12th Intergovernmental Commission meeting covering cooperation in trade, economy, science, technology and culture. (ANI)
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