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Minsk hosts first-ever India-Belarus Consular Dialogue

The officials of India and Belarus also agreed to follow up on the discussions of the Dialogue and review them at the next edition of the India-Belarus Consular Dialogue…reports Asian Lite News

India and Belarus held the first-ever Consular Dialogue in Minsk and discussions were held on various Consular issues ranging from the welfare of Indian students in Belarus to enhancing tourism between the two countries.

For the meeting held between the two nations on June 28, the Indian delegation was led by Aman Puri, Joint Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa Division) while the Belarusian delegation was led by Andrei Kozhan, Head of General Directorate for Consular Affairs, Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.

In a press release, MEA stated, “The Dialogue centered around a wide gamut of Consular issues ranging from welfare of Indian students in Belarus to enhancing tourism between the two countries.”

The officials of India and Belarus also agreed to follow up on the discussions of the Dialogue and review them at the next edition of the India-Belarus Consular Dialogue which will be held in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.

The visiting Indian delegation also met with senior officials of the Belarusian Ministry of Sports and Tourism and representatives of the Indian student community in Belarus.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Belarus on June 28 stated, “The first ever India-Belarus Consular Dialogue was held in Minsk on 28.6.2024. The Indian delegation was led by Dr. Aman Puri, JS (CPV). The two sides discussed consular issues and possibilities of launching new initiatives to further strengthen people-to-people relations.”

Earlier in May, Belarus Ambassador to India, Mikhail Kasko extended his country’s support for India’s “Make in India” and “Smart Cities” flagship initiatives and highlighted the ongoing collaboration in the creation of modern pharmaceuticals between the two countries.

“Belarus and India have successful mutually beneficial cooperation in the creation of modern pharmaceutical productions with the participation of investments from the leading Indian companies such as “Cipla”. Currently we are working on establishing joint pharmaceutical production at the scientific and practical centre named after Dr.Yusuf Hamied in Minsk,” he said in an interview with ANI.

“Belarus is ready to provide support to the growing Indian industrial cluster, including participation in such programmes as “Make in India”, “Smart Cities”, and modernization of Indian agricultural sector,” he added.

On being asked about the bilateral and trade ties between the two countries, the Belarusian envoy said that both countries have developed a constructive political dialogue and trade turnover is growing every year.

“The cooperation between our countries is characterized by mutual commitment to the implementation of potential of two countries, the desire to work together in pursuit of common goals for the well-being of citizens and to strengthen relations across the entire spectrum of interests,” he said.

“We have developed constructive political dialogue. Our countries have a solid legal base, which regulates almost all spheres of interaction. Mutual trade turnover is growing year by year. Cooperation between the business circles of Belarus and India is also active. It is naturally complementing the efforts of the states to develop trade, economic and investment relations,” he added.

Highlighting growing tourism between the two countries, he said, “Bilateral cooperation in the sphere of tourism is growing progressively. India is becoming more and more popular among Belarusian tourists. The number of Indians wishing to see Belarusian attractions is increasing every year.” (ANI)

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Belarus suspends participation in arms treaty  

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday that its forces would further fortify the country’s border with Belarus after a soldier was seriously wounded with a knife by a migrant on Tuesday…reports Asian Lite News

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed the document to suspend the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), the media reported.

The document was signed by Lukashenko on May 24. The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the decision to suspend the CFE was made in the context of the collapse of the existing conventional arms control system in Europe and the continued escalation of the military and political situation in the region.

The Ministry added that if NATO ends its suspension of the treaty, Belarus would do the same. The CFE was signed in November 1990 in Paris by 16 NATO member states and six Warsaw Pact countries. It came into effect in November 1992.

The treaty limits the number of military equipment signatory countries can possess.

Meanwhile, the pressure of mass migration and the war in Ukraine have both forced the issue of securing the EU’s eastern frontier, according to authorities.

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday that its forces would further fortify the country’s border with Belarus after a soldier was seriously wounded with a knife by a migrant on Tuesday.

They will use “all available means” to defend the NATO nation’s frontier, he added.

Tusk said that a 200-metre buffer zone would be set up along the border, which is also the European Union’s eastern frontier, a complement to the 190-kilometre metal barrier already in place to prevent an influx of migrants crossing from Belarus.

Together with the defence and interior ministers, Tusk visited troops, border guards and police forces securing the border following the knife attack on a soldier near the village of Dubicze Cerkiewne.

Officials said a migrant reached across the bars of the more than 5 metre-high metal wall separating Poland and Belarus and stabbed the soldier in the ribs. Polish security forces were not able to detain the attacker because he was on the Belarus side of the barrier, officials said.

The soldier remains hospitalised in serious condition.

Tusk said the government will make a final decision on the buffer zone next week. Poland says the pressure of illegal migration on its border is being deliberately driven by Belarus and Russia.

“There is no room for negotiation. Poland’s border must be protected,” Tusk said. “Polish troops, border guards, officers have become the targets of aggression and you have every right, not to say an obligation, to use every means available to you … when you are defending not only the border but also you own life,” Tusk said.

The pro-EU government says the pressure and aggression of illegal migration is rising, organised by Russia and Belarus to destabilise Europe as Moscow wages war on Ukraine. Poland’s authorities say the migrant groups arriving at the border now mainly comprise young men, compared to families with women and children previously.

More than 13,000 attempts at illegal crossings have been registered so far this year, a rise from the same period last year.

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Belarus Backs India’s Bid For UNSC Seat

Belarussian Foreign Minister stressed the urgency for reforms in the UNSC…reports Asian Lite News

Joining the chorus for reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik, who is currently on a visit to India, said Minsk would support India’s call for a permanent seat in the world body.

Addressing a media briefing in the national capital on Wednesday, the Belarussian Foreign Minister stressed the urgency for reforms in the UNSC, adding, ” We (Belarus) also discussed this issue and are convinced that UNSC reforms should be facilitated. It is a long-lasting issue which is being discussed within the UN, taking into account the very fragile situation in the world today.”

“We also expressed ourselves during the 78th Session of the General Assembly and in our official statement during the 78 Session of the General Assembly, we made it very clear that we would support the accession of India to the Security Council,” he added.

Speaking on his meeting with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, Aleinik said, “We share views towards creating a more just, fair, and multipolar world order. We also hold the same views on the principles of international relations. So the core principles are equality of states and, the balance of interests of each and every country.”

“We also touched upon our cooperation in the SCO, as well as BRICS, and expressed our appreciation for the support that India extended to our application for full-fledged membership in the SCO,” Belarussian FM added on his sit-down with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar.

He said India was the first country to ratify the memorandum on Balarus’ accession to the SCO, adding that he also discussed Balarus’ membership of the BRICS during his talks with the EAM.

The two leaders also discussed regional and global issues, affirming to work towards further enhancing bilateral cooperation between India and Belarus to a ‘strategic partnership’ level, he added.

“We touched upon BRICS because Belarus also applied for full-fledged membership of the grouping. W e look forward to positive consideration by the growing number of member states of BRICS since the last summit in Johannesburg,” Aleinik said.

He stated further that his country’s accession to the SCO is in its final stage and they are hopeful of ‘ complete accession’ in the coming months.

Gung ho on BRICS membership, he said they are expecting some positive developments in the forthcoming summit in Astana, Kazakhstan in October this year.

Earlier, on Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar held discussions with his Belarusian counterpart on bilateral ties, including development partnerships in the field of defence. The two leaders delved into various facets encompassing political, trade, and economic dimensions.

On his India visit, the Belarusian Foreign Minister held meetings with prominent leaders and ministers, holding discussions on boosting ties between the two countries across sectors and spheres.

His visit, which started on March 11 and is scheduled to culminate on March 13, aims at strengthening bilateral ties.

Aleinik’s departure is scheduled for Wednesday night, marking the conclusion of his brief yet pivotal diplomatic mission to India, the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a release.

Jaishankar last met his counterpart from Belarus in the Ugandan capital Kampala on January 19 on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit.

During the meeting, Jaishankar and his Belarusian counterpart held discussions on developments related to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. (ANI)

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Belarusian FM Due in India

The visit, scheduled from March 11 to 13, aims to strengthen the bilateral ties between Belarus and India….reports Asian Lite News

Belarus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Aleinik, will touch down in Delhi on Monday evening, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

The visit, scheduled from March 11 to 13, aims to strengthen the bilateral ties between Belarus and India.

The highlight of the visit is the scheduled meeting between Sergei Aleinik and External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar.

The bilateral discussions are set to take place on Tuesday afternoon.

Minister Aleinik’s departure is scheduled for Wednesday night, marking the conclusion of his brief yet pivotal diplomatic mission to India, the MEA added.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last met his counterpart from Belarus in Kampala on January 19 on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit.

During the meeting, Jaishankar and his Belarusian counterpart, Sergei Aleinik

The two leaders spoke about developments related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Jaishankar took to social media platform X to share insights from the meeting held with Aleinik.

“A useful meeting with Belarusian FM Sergei Aleinik. Exchanged views on India – Belarus cooperation in various fields. Also discussed developments pertaining to the Ukraine conflict,” Jaishankar posted on X earlier.

India’s relations with Belarus have been traditionally warm and cordial. India was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus as independent country in 1991, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

India and Belarus enjoy good understanding and commonality of views on various matters and cooperate with each other in multilateral fora on issues of mutual interest. Belarus has been supportive of India’s candidature for a permanent seat at the UNSC.

Belarus recognizes India as an emerging global power and seeks to develop a “strategic relationship” with India.

India and Belarus have maintained high level contacts.

India and Belarus maintain comprehensive partnership. Both countries have established mechanisms for exchanging views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues through Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs), India-Belarus Inter-governmental Commission (IGC) on Cooperation in Science & Technology and Commission on Military Technical Cooperation.

The two countries have signed a number of Agreements/MoUs on various subjects, namely, trade and economic cooperation, agriculture, cultural, educational, media and 3 sports, S&T, foreign office consultations, IGC, Avoidance of Double Taxation, Promotion and Protection of Investments and defence and technical cooperation.

The Indian community in Belarus is minuscule with around 85 Indian nationals and 476 students, mostly studying medicine in Belarusian medical universities, the MEA also said. (ANI)

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Belarusian President to Meet Xi in China

Alexander Lukashenko noted that China and Belarus should constantly enhance political mutual trust and remain each other’s true friends and good partners….reports Asian Lite News

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will travel to China for a working visit from December 3-4, Belarusian state agency BelTA reported on Sunday, citing Lukashenko’s press service.

During his visit to Beijing, Lukashenko is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The agenda of talks includes issues related to trade, economic, investment and international cooperation. During his visit, he will also attend social and humanitarian events.

Earlier this February, Lukashenko had been in China on a state visit.

According to BelTA report, The Belarusian President held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping who stressed that the “friendship” between China and Belarus is “unbreakable,” according to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia.

He noted that China and Belarus should constantly enhance political mutual trust and remain each other’s true friends and good partners.

Previously, in September 2022, Lukashenko and Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, BelTA reported.

The two leaders adopted a joint declaration to advance relations to “an all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership.”

Xi visits Shanghai

Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited Shanghai for the first time in three years. This comes as his government steps up efforts to support the country’s economy and financial markets, CNN reported.

Xi made the trip on Tuesday and Wednesday and he visited the Shanghai Futures Exchange, a tech exhibition in the Zhangjiang High-tech Park, and a government-subsidised rental housing community, according to Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency.

The Chinese President was accompanied by top government officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng and Cai Qi, his chief of staff.

The Chinese President’s visit, his first since 2020, comes as business confidence wanes in China and foreign companies pull out of the country.

China’s economy is stagnating after decades of rapid expansion. It’s affected by a series of problems, including a real estate crisis, record youth unemployment, debt-ridden local governments and a rapidly ageing population.

The country’s tighter business control and strained relations with the West are scaring away foreign investors. A gauge of foreign direct investment into China has turned negative for the first time since 1998.

Data released by the Chinese government on Thursday showed the official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index slipped to 49.4 in November from 49.5 in October, signalling a further contraction in factory output. Last month, the PMI unexpectedly shrank from September amid weak demand, according to CNN. (ANI)

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No involvement in Russia-Ukraine conflict without provocation: Belarus

The Belarusian President refutes claims of Moscow pressuring Minsk to engage in a “special military operation” in Ukraine….reports Asian Lite News

Belarus will not participate in the armed hostilities in Ukraine unless Ukrainians cross the state border, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said.

“If Ukrainians do not cross our border, we will never participate in this war, in this full-scale war, but we will always help Russia,” Lukashenko told the media in an interview on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Belarusian President also denied reports that Moscow allegedly persuades Minsk to participate in its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Lukashenko said that the war could have been avoided, and it is still possible to end it.

Any peace negotiation should be proceeded without pre-conditions, he added.

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First direct flight from Belarus touches down in India

Ambassador said that a lot of efforts were made to launch a regular flight service between Belarus and India and that the service will commence on August 12….reports Asian Lite News

The first direct flight from Belarus, Belarusian Airline Belavia, finally arrived in India.

On the social media account, X (formerly known as Twitter), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, on Saturday, shared a video showing a flight arriving in India and the Belarusian Ambassador to India, Andrei Rzheussky, along with the staff untie the ribbon.

“First direct flight from #Belarus arrived in #India,” it said in a tweet.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Rzheussky confirmed that the first-ever direct flight between Minsk, the capital of Belarus and Delhi, India would start on August 12.

While speaking to ANI, Ambassador said that a lot of efforts were made to launch a regular flight service between Belarus and India and that the service will commence on August 12.

“It was not the easy way. For the last couple of years, we did our routine job just to fulfil this project into life. And now I am proudly announcing that at the end of this week (on Saturday) the first ever scheduled flight from Minsk to India will take place,” he said.

The Belarus Ambassador also stated that only a couple of flights were operated before this regular flight service. He also highlighted the importance of this flight service in terms of business and tourism.

The flight schedule that begins on August 11 (local time) starts from a weekly flight with the departure from Minsk on Fridays. In return, the flight will depart from Delhi on Saturdays.

Earlier, Belarusian Airline Belavia released a press release where its Director General Igor Cherginets said: “We know that passengers have been looking forward to the opening of this flight. Our specialists have been working hard for a long time to fulfil the travellers’ wishes. I can firmly say that this is one of the most interesting destinations in the route network of the airline. We have solved the problem of those, who have long dreamed to dive into the Indian flavour and experience the culture of another country, but were not ready to set out on a long journey with layovers.”

“Now, to travel to India all you have to do is buy one ticket, take a good mood and get on the plane, and we will take you to new emotions. We also expect that the launch of flights between Minsk and Delhi will foster the development of cooperation between Belarus and India” Cherginets said as per a release.

Belarus citizens need to have a visa to travel to India. The visa can be obtained online: an electronic visa is issued for a period of 30 days, a year or five years. More information on how to get a visa and the required documents can be found on the website of the Embassy of India in Minsk. (ANI)

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Direct flight service between Belarus, India to start soon

Two Air Canada Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft (Left and Right) are seen at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, Vancouver, Canada. (Xinhua/Liang Sen)

The Belarus Ambassador also stated that only a couple of flights were operated before this regular flight service. He also highlighted the importance of this flight service in terms of business and tourism…reports Asian Lite News

Andrei Rzheussky, Ambassador of Belarus to India, on Wednesday, said that the first-ever direct flight between Minsk, the capital of Belarus and Delhi, India will start from August 12.

While speaking to ANI, Ambassador said that a lot of efforts were made to launch a regular flight service between Belarus and Indian and that the service will commence on August 12.

“It was not the easy way. For the last couple of years, we did our routine job just to fulfil this project into life. And now I am proudly announcing that at the end of this week (on Saturday) the first ever scheduled flight from Minsk to India will take place,” he said.

The Belarus Ambassador also stated that only a couple of flights were operated before this regular flight service. He also highlighted the importance of this flight service in terms of business and tourism.

“It’s a tremendous event for tourist exchange, for business trips, and for many other opportunities which can show both the countries to our people more closely. India is a very interesting country with a very rich history and traditions. But besides India, I would like to mention that Belarus also is a very interesting tourist destination,” he pointed out.

He further said, “Belarus is called as a ‘lungs of Europe’ because more than 40 per cent of its territory is covered by forest. We have more than 10,000 lakes and rivers. So it’s also called the blue eye of Europe. In my country, there are a lot of interesting destinations just to show to Indian people. We have different opportunities in agricultural tourism, in just general tourism, for sightseeing different Destinations, medical, tourism, even industrial tourism.”

The flght service will be launched by the Belarusian Airline Belavia on Minsk-Delhi-Minsk route starting this next week.

The flight schedule that begins on August 11 (local time) starts from a weekly flight with the departure from Minsk on Fridays. In return, the flight will depart from Delhi on Saturdays.

According to a tentative schedule, the flight will depart from Minsk at 20:25 hrs, and the flight will land at Delhi’s IGI airport at 05:35 hrs. The total travel time is 6 hours and 40 minutes.

In return, the flight from Delhi will depart at 06:55 hrs, and the flight will land at Minsk at 11:40 hrs, and the travel time is 7 hours and 15 minutes.

The time for all airports is local, the time shift between Minsk and Delhi is 2.5 hours, according to officials.

Belavia Director General Igor Cherginets said: “We know that passengers have been looking forward to the opening of this flight. Our specialists have been working hard for a long time to fulfil the travellers’ wishes. I can firmly say that this is one of the most interesting destinations in the route network of the airline. We have solved the problem of those, who have long dreamed to dive into the Indian flavour and experience the culture of another country, but were not ready to set out on a long journey with layovers.”

“Now, to travel to India all you have to do is buy one ticket, take a good mood and get on the plane, and we will take you to new emotions. We also expect that the launch of flights between Minsk and Delhi will foster the development of cooperation between Belarus and India” Cherginets said as per a release issued by the Belarusian Airline Belavia.

Belarus citizens need to have a visa to travel to India. The visa can be obtained online: an electronic visa is issued for a period of 30 days, a year or five years. More information on how to get a visa and the required documents can be found on the website of the Embassy of India in Minsk. (ANI)

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Belarus set to become full member of SCO by 2024

Speaking further about the bloc, the envoy also believed that it is one of the tools that will help countries to not only follow the rules made by the Western countries…reports Asian Lite News

Belarus which is set to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) by 2024 says that it relies on the cooperation within the organization from the member states and that it had the same vision in developing the organization even while being an observer.

The Belarusian envoy to India Andrei Rzheussky stressed how powerful and promising the Bloc is and how it will help to unite the developing nations.

“India hosted this summit virtually on July 4. Our President also participated in this summit and during the summit, a memorandum of commitment was signed by all member states. We are in the process of our Parliament adopting all treaties which is necessary for becoming a full-fledged member of the SCO. As our President said, we hope to become a member of SCO shortly,” said the Envoy.

“As our president mentioned that we hope that very shortly, we will become a full-fledged member of this organization because we rely on a huge cooperation in this organization. And we have some vision, of how to develop this organization, even when we were in different capacities like observers or partners. We also participated in this activity and proposed a lot of projects, which were adopted and unanimously greeted by member states”, he added.

New Delhi, July 04 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi at SCO Summit via video conferencing, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iran President Ebrahim Raisi and others also seen. (ANI Photo)

Earlier in July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the SCO Summit virtually where he said that Iran is going to join as a new member of the organization. He also welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for the SCO membership of Belarus.

“I am happy that today Iran is going to join the SCO family as a new member. For this, I convey my best wishes to President Ebrahim Raisi and the people of Iran. Also, we welcome the signing of the memorandum of obligation for Belarus’ SCO membership,” PM Modi said at the summit then.

Speaking further about the bloc, the envoy also believed that it is one of the tools that will help countries to not only follow the rules made by the Western countries.

“I can just quote our President saying that SCO is a very powerful and very promising organization and it will help to unite the developing nations which can make something different. It’s one of the tools which can help countries to not only follow the rules of Western countries”, said the envoy.

Currently, SCO has Russia, India, China, Pakistan and four Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as its members. Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at its 23rd leaders’ summit, hosted virtually by India as chairman of the grouping.

The SCO has mainly focused its fight against regional security issues, regional terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism. To date, the SCO’s priorities have also included regional development.

The last meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. India took over the rotating presidency of the SCO at the Samarkand SCO Summit in 2022. (ANI)

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India set to access new shipping route from Belarus via Russia

Russian transport giant Fesco has launched a new intermodal container route from Belarus to India via Saint Petersburg that will also connect Vietnam and China…reports Asian Lite News

Russian transport giant Fesco has launched a new intermodal container route from Belarus to India via Saint Petersburg that will also connect Vietnam and China.

The initial stage includes rail transportation from the city of Vitebsk – the largest railway junction in northern Belarus – to Avtovo port cargo station in Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city after Moscow located along the strategic Baltic Sea coast.

At the next stage, the containers are reloaded onto Fesco vessels and follow the regular deep sea lines of the group to the Indian port of Nava Sheva in Navi Mumbai.

The vessels then leave for the Chinese ports of Rizhao, Lianyungang, Shanghai, Ningbo and Yantian with the transit time of the entire intermodal transportation being about 50 days.

As part of the route, return loading to Saint Petersburg is provided. In addition, the cargo can also be delivered to the Vietnamese port of Haiphong and other countries in Southeast Asia with reloading at Ningbo in east China’s Zhejiang province.

“The new intermodal route is aimed primarily at manufacturers from the Republic of Belarus, who can transport their goods at an attractive cost and in optimal time due to a small railway leg, bypassing the busy Eastern landfill, and Fesco’s own maritime services, within which we provide customers with a guaranteed capacity on our ships,” said German Maslov, Vice President of Fesco’s linear and logistics division.

The first container train on this route, loaded with 80 TEU of lumber, departed from Vitebsk on June 20 and arrived in Saint Petersburg two days later, from where the consignment departed on a Fesco vessel on June 30 and is expected to arrive at the port of destination Shanghai today.

Earlier this month, the group announced that it has increased the capacity of the Fesco India Line (FIL) sea line between Russia and India to 1,100 TEU by deploying its own container ship that has reduced transit time from Indian ports to 18 days.

Now the sea service operates along the route Mundra – Nava Sheva – Novorossiysk and in the opposite direction. The company said that initially, the frequency of sending the ship is monthly but will increase to once every two weeks when a second vessel joins the line.

Fesco signed an agreement with an Indian logistics group ‘Saksham’ to develop maritime transportation between the two countries during Russia’s largest transport and logistics exhibition ‘TransRussia’ held in Moscow, earlier this year.

The parties plan to organise direct sea services from the ports of Mundra in Gujarat and Nava Sheva in Navi Mumbai to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and Saint Petersburg and in the opposite direction, as well as to conduct a study of the potential cargo base between the ports of Chennai and Vladivostok for the possibility of launching a sea line on this route.

Fesco’s icebreaker ship Vasily Golovnin also carried out the second Antarctic expedition under a new five-year contract with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) – India’s premier R&D institution responsible for the country’s research activities in the polar and Southern Ocean realms – in April.

The container turnover between India and Russia has been growing gradually over the past few years. In March, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spotlighted the development of transport corridors along the India-Russia route and container traffic between Indian and Russian Far Eastern ports during the visit of Alexei Chekunkov, Russia’s Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, to New Delhi and Mumbai.

The EAM spoke on the importance of connectivity initiatives, including the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as well as the Eastern Maritime Corridor (Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor) that India believes would play a key role in expanding and diversifying the bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

“The Eastern Maritime Corridor, I think, fits in with our goal, what is called ‘Act East Policy’, as well as the Russian policy of having the Far East come in as an additional driver of the economy. So, I think there is a synergy there which is waiting to be tapped,” said Jaishankar.

During his India trip, Chekunkov held extended meetings with representatives of Indian companies and also met Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Fesco’s Maslov, who accompanied the Russian delegation, detailed about the group’s intermodal services from India to Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Khabarovsk through the main ports of the country.

Colombo, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) — Aerial photo taken on Sept. 23, 2020 shows a view of the construction site of the Colombo Port City in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (China’s CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd./Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

Set for SCO entry

Belarus which is set to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) by 2024 says that it relies on the cooperation within the organization from the member states and that it had the same vision in developing the organization even while being an observer.

Speaking to ANI, the Belarusian envoy to India Andrei Rzheussky stressed how powerful and promising the Bloc is and how it will help to unite the developing nations.

“India hosted this summit virtually on July 4. Our President also participated in this summit and during the summit, a memorandum of commitment was signed by all member states. We are in the process of our Parliament adopting all treaties which is necessary for becoming a full-fledged member of the SCO. As our President said, we hope to become a member of SCO shortly,” said the Envoy.

“As our president mentioned that we hope that very shortly, we will become a full-fledged member of this organization because we rely on a huge cooperation in this organization. And we have some vision, of how to develop this organization, even when we were in different capacities like observers or partners. We also participated in this activity and proposed a lot of projects, which were adopted and unanimously greeted by member states”, he added.

Earlier in July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the SCO Summit virtually where he said that Iran is going to join as a new member of the organization. He also welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for the SCO membership of Belarus.

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