Jiang said that with the joint efforts of the two nations and their leaders, the Sino-Belarussian relations have developed smoothly and attained remarkable achievements during the past 10 years.

The constant growth of political trust and understanding between China and Belarus has created a favorable environment for the enhanced bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, science and technology, culture and education, Jiang said.

Jiang also said the two countries, sharing the same or similar stands on many international issues, have always supported each other and achieved a great deal in their cooperation.

Facts have proved that China and Belarus are true friends and good partners, and their relations can stand any test of the highly volatile international situation, Jiang said.

He added that in the past year, Chinese and Belarussian leaders exchanged visits and decided to develop the overall friendly cooperative relations, showing the course of bilateral relations in the new century.

Jiang said the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Sino- Belarussian diplomatic relations marks a new stage of bilateral relations. He expressed the wish to make joint efforts with President Lukashenko to give fresh impetus to the traditional friendly Sino-Belarussian relations, and bring benefits to the people of the two nations.

Lukashenko said in his congratulatory telegram that Belarus and China have quickly improved their cooperation in all fields. By exchanging visits, the leaders of the two states have decided the strategic course of their mutually beneficial cooperation, and pushed forward their relations to a new level.

Lukashenko said Belarus and China have taken the same stand in such fields as disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, establishment of nuclear-free zones and fighting terrorism. The two countries have agreed to maintain and strengthen the leading role of the United Nations in solving international problems and promoting multi-polarization in the world, and oppose interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. They have maintained constructive cooperation in the United Nations and other international organizations.

According to Lukashenko, there is great potential in economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. In the past decade, the volume of their trade has quadrupled. More than 40 documents signed by the two countries have laid a solid legal foundation for the bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, there still exists great potential in the economic and trade, scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries. Belarus and China should make the best efforts to diversify their trade and seek a new way for the implementation of their cooperative projects.

Lukashenko believed that Belarus and China will achieve more in their political and economic cooperation in the next decade.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2002)