“I am not satisfied with the current state of Belarus-India relations. Frankly speaking, our relations with India have degraded, so India is not an easy destination… but [it] is a very important foreign economic partner of ours. India is a huge market, and we have been present there since Soviet times. We must build the foundation of our relations in the main areas.” This was how the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, outlined the major priorities for the newly appointed Ambassador to India, Mikhail Krasko, in January 2024. The perception of disarray in relations is arguably related to the scaling down of trade. Minsk’s intentions are clear: in the light of Western sanctions, Belarus is seeking to diversify its economic partnerships and find new markets for its commodities. One of the primary goals is to revamp exports to India, which have declined sharply since FY2022-23.
India and Belarus: Recalibrating an Adrift Partnership (Aleksei Zakharov – Observer Research Foundation)
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