MOSCOW, Aug 22 (AFP): Belarus, which has been hit by Western sanctions over its support for Russia's offensive in Ukraine, said Thursday it will sign a free trade deal with China for services and investment.
China's Prime Minister Li Qiang was in Belarus to meet President Alexander Lukashenko, following a visit to Moscow where he hailed strengthening ties with Russia and met President Vladimir Putin.
Minsk and Beijing will sign a series of bilateral partnership agreements during his visit, the Belarusian presidency said in a statement on its website.
"One of them can definitely be called historic-an agreement on the creation of a free trade zone for services and investment," it quoted Lukashenko as saying.
Minsk said the deal would create "transparent and predictable rules" that would boost Belarus' exports to China by at least 12 per cent and Chinese investment into Belarus by 30 per cent over the next five years. Belarus has been targeted by sanctions over its support of Russia's military offensive on Ukraine and Lukashenko's crackdown on protesters.
China, Belarus to sign trade agreement
FE Team | Published: August 23, 2024 00:01:06
China, Belarus to sign trade agreement
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