Belarus, China keep strengthening strategic partnership - leader..

MINSK, March 25 (Itar-Tass) - Belarus and China steadily strengthen
strategic partnership relations, Belarussian President Alexander
Lukashenko said at talks with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.
"We have common positions on major issues of the international agenda,
we don't accept pressure and interference from outside, we protect the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of our states," Lukashenko stressed.
According to him, the Belarussian leadership considers attempts of
some forces to submit the issue of Taiwan independence for consideration
of the U.N. General Assembly as absolutely groundless and at variance with
principles of the U.N. Charter. "Their support for separatism is a threat
not only for China but also for the whole international community,"
Lukashenko stressed.
According to him, credits on easy terms granted by China actively help
in modernisation of the Belarussian economy, introduction of advanced
technologies and innovations. "We are interested in further strengthening
positions through political cooperation," the president noted.
He added that the two countries have reached at the present moment
such level of cooperation, when "we can openly and in a trust-based manner
discuss any investment projects: from reconstruction of highways to the
development of nuclear energy".
The top Chinese official, for his part, stressed that China's
leadership was satisfied with the current state and the development of
relations between the two countries. "China highly appreciates the fact
that Belarus considers the development of relations with China as one of
priority ones," he stressed.
According to him, the establishment of long-term stable bilateral
relations meets their interests as well as contributes to stability in the
region. Xi Jinping also said that China had welcomed Belarus's decision to
take part in the world exhibition Expo 2010.
He added that the Chinese president was ready to meet with Lukashenko
at any convenient for him time. He stressed that China highly appreciated
support of Belarus on the Taiwan and Tibet issues. "We consider it would
be expedient to more closely develop cooperation on the international
arena. Keeping it in mind, China will also support Belarus when the issue
of human rights is considered at the U.N. Human Rights Council," the
Chinese vice president said.

.CSTO holds ministerial meeting on Afghanistan, foreign policy.

MOSCOW, March 25 (Itar-Tass) - Participants in an informal session of
the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's Council of Foreign Ministers
meet on Thursday in Moscow to discuss coordinated efforts on Afghanistan
and on foreign policy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will take
part in the session.
The Afghan issue becomes particularly topical after the signing of a
declaration on cooperation between the secretariats of the United Nations
and the CSTO. "We believe that cooperation on Afghanistan is one of the
most topical forms of cooperation between these two organisations,"
experts say.
"The heads of the foreign ministries will also discuss measures on
support of Kazakhstan's initiatives within the framework of its
chairmanship of the OSCE in 2010 as well as measures to promote joint
foreign policy priorities," the press service of the organisation said.
Statements of OSCE countries' foreign ministers in connection with the
65th anniversary of Victory Day, on cooperation in work on a European
security treaty and in connection with the holding of the NPT (Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty) Review Conference in 2010 will be submitted for
the signing by the participants in the session.

.OIC considers Russia reliable friend - secretary general.

KAZAN, March 25 (Itar-Tass) - The Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) considers Russia a reliable friend and marks coincidence
of opinions on many major international issues, OIC Secretary General
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said here on Wednesday.
"Our cooperation particularly got substantial boost when in 2005
Russia obtained observer status at the OIC," he said at a news conference
at the international airport of Kazan upon the arrival. The secretary
general said the unveiling of Russia's permanent mission at the
organization in 2008 became a second step towards closer cooperation. A
total of 30 million Muslims live in Russia.
"Our cooperation gets a boost at all levels. Muslim delegations often
visit Moscow and other Russian cities, while staffers of the Foreign
Ministry and other Russian representatives arrive at the OIC
headquarters," Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu continued.
He said the OIC and Russia have the same stances on Afghanistan,
problems of the Middle East and other major geopolitical issues. He highly
appreciated Russia's contribution to the activity of the Middle East
Quartet.
"In 2009 I met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and a bit
earlier I met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and I have repeatedly
visited Tatarstan. All these meetings, friendly talks are aimed at
expanding trade, economic and cultural cooperation of OIC member countries
with Russia," the secretary general said.
On Thursday, the guest will take part in festivities in connection
with the inauguration of new President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.
Then he will meet with scientists and professors of Volga Region Federal
University.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference was set up in 1969. It has
the headquarters in Jiddah (Saudi Arabia) and is the biggest and most
influential international Muslim organisation. It brings together 57
Muslim states. Ihsanoglu is OIC Secretary General since 2004. In 2008 he
was re-elected for the second five-year term.
-0-zhe/