New Belarus ambassador to Azerbaijan sees humanitarian cooperation as key to trade growth

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has appointed Dmitri Pinevich as the new ambassador to Azerbaijan.

Pinevich, who previously served as the Minister of Health of Belarus from 2020 to 2024, takes on the diplomatic role following the tenure of Andrei Ravkov. Ravkov had held the position since November 2020, Caliber.Az reports via Belarus media.

Belarus maintains close relations with Azerbaijan. The Belarus president affirmed confidence that the newly appointed Ambassador to Azerbaijan Dmitry Pinevich will be able to inject new energy into bilateral economic cooperation.

“As a president, I will support any proposal coming from you. He [the president of Azerbaijan] is a great friend of our state, we have always had good relations with him and his father,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Ambassador Pinevich emphasized that humanitarian cooperation could significantly drive forward mutual trade between the two countries.

When asked about strategies to enhance trade, which is already quite robust, Pinevich stated, “Azerbaijan is not just a partner for us, but a strategic partner. This is due to many factors. Despite the distance between us and the seemingly different historical backgrounds, we are very similar. We have similar mentally, we value each other, we value human life, we embrace the experience of previous generations. All these, coupled with the strategic cooperation momentum set by the leaders of our countries, we have good points of contact between the two countries”.

The ambassador further noted that all areas of bilateral cooperation are well-structured and were further reinforced during the recent visit of the Belarusian president to Azerbaijan. The two countries primarily cooperate in the manufacturing and processing sectors, but Pinevich emphasized that there are significant growth opportunities in humanitarian cooperation.

“We actually have points of growth in humanitarian cooperation. No matter how paradoxical it may seem," he said.

Pinevich cited the development of interaction between the healthcare systems of the two countries, as well as cooperation in pharmaceuticals, the biological industry, the IT sector, and educational programs. According to him, such collaborations will foster the development of intercultural ties and contribute to greater trade.

“If we create such comprehensive dynamics, across all points of contact, we will get the effect we want [in terms of higher mutual trade," the ambassador noted.

He also highlighted the promising potential of cooperation in the pharmaceutical and biological industries, given the high added value these sectors provide.

“This is a two-way road. Azerbaijan is a highly developed industrial, agrarian country. In each sector, whether it is industry or social sphere, they have their own achievements. They can be coupled with our achievements to launch new joint manufacturing facilities or new projects ranging from science to cultural ties,” Ambassador Pinevich concluded.

By Vafa Guliyeva