Belarus suggests setting up a joint manufacturing base to Equatorial Guinea in order to reach markets of neighboring African countries. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement as he met with Equatorial Guinea's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Diaspora Simeon Oyono Esono Angue, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I've already told the president of Equatorial Guinea and would like to once again emphasize that Belarus has all the technologies for advancing your country to a higher level. You are also very interested in it. I also mentioned our proposals during the visit of your president. Essentially, we are ready to not only sell the products you need to you. We are ready to transfer technologies to you and train your people how to use them. And it would be a good idea (it is the second direction) for you and us to manage to create a manufacturing base in Equatorial Guinea that will be able to work for the benefit of neighboring states at least.”

The president said he believes that the current visit of the Equatorial Guinea's minister of foreign affairs, international cooperation and diaspora will become the key stage in preparing a future meeting of the two leaders.

In turn, Simeon Oyono Esono Angue thanked Aleksandr Lukashenko for the meeting and passed on a message from the Equatorial Guinea president.

BelTA reported earlier that Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo came to Belarus on an official visit in early September. The itinerary of the visit was quite intensive and included official negotiations with Aleksandr Lukashenko in the Palace of Independence, the signing of bilateral documents, visits to enterprises, and familiarization with capabilities of Belarusian manufacturers.

The Belarus president intends to go to Equatorial Guinea on a reciprocal visit.

The Equatorial Guinea's minister of foreign affairs, international cooperation and diaspora arrived in Belarus at the head of a large delegation. It includes ministers of agriculture, animal husbandry and land development, healthcare and social security, social and housing construction and urban planning, deputy ministers of trade, industry, and business development, culture, tourism, and crafts development, finance, and budget.

The governments of Belarus and Equatorial Guinea held the first session of the joint commission on trade and economic cooperation in Minsk on 18-19 October. The interstate procedure was completed at the same time for the framework agreement on cooperation to come into force.

The sides consider agriculture and food security (deliveries of machines, vehicles, equipment, and food, agricultural technologies, fertilizers, vocational training of personnel), information technologies, healthcare, education, tourism, civil engineering, the development of the sphere of services, small and medium business, creation of manufacturing capabilities in woodworking industry as priority cooperation areas.

Belarus views Equatorial Guinea as a gateway to West and Central Africa. The parties are considering setting up a production and logistics hub over there, which will be used, among other things, to ship Belarusian goods to neighboring countries.