A visit by Alyaksandr Lukashenka to Iran may take place in 2026, according to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh in an interview with CTV.
He said that during the Minsk Conference on Eurasian Security, he met with Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhankou. They discussed the upcoming visit of Iran’s foreign minister to Belarus for inter-ministerial consultations and a session of the intergovernmental cooperation commission. Iran expects Lukashenka’s visit to Tehran next year.
The deputy minister also noted that the potential for cooperation between Iran and Belarus has not yet been fully realized. According to Khatibzadeh, the Iranian side is expecting Belarus to lift visa requirements, as Iran has already abolished visas for Belarusians.
“Unfortunately, we have managed to realize only a very small part of our potential. We should focus primarily on ties and relations between our peoples and private sectors. For example, Iran has unilaterally abolished visas for citizens of Belarus. Belarusians are welcome — everyone can visit Iran. Iran is a large country with a population of 90 million. Many tourists also visit Belarus, and we hope that if Belarus lifts its visa requirements, we can send our tourists as well. There are various projects — logistical projects, the use of transport corridors — and we hope that these projects, among others, will bear fruit in the near future,” he said.