MINSK [Belarus], (Oct 28) — India and Belarus have agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, education, science and technology during the 8th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) held in Minsk, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
The talks were co-chaired by Secretary (West) Sibi George and Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Evgeny Shestakov, and covered the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including political, economic, cultural, tourism, education, and consular matters.
In a post on X, the MEA said both sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, reaffirming their commitment to deepening bilateral ties.
India and Belarus have long-standing ties dating back to 1991, when India was among the first nations to recognize Belarus’s independence. Formal diplomatic relations were established in 1992, with embassies in both capitals by 1998.
The countries maintain multiple institutional mechanisms for cooperation — including the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), the Joint Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation, and Foreign Office Consultations — to coordinate on trade, defence, science, and multilateral issues.