AREGBESOLA AND BOOSTING NIGERIA-BELARUS RELATIONS

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola believes that the “best” way to increase diplomatic relations is to get a trade and security agreement and stick to them a long time. He believes that it is the only positive relationship that actually grows over time. The next ones would be having an honorable leader and researching the various techs that improve diplomacy; these things provide bonuses that don’t really change.

Recently Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of our people and Government of Nigeria with the Belarusian Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj. Gen. Yuri Karayev, in Minsk. The visit to Belarus is viewed as a continuation of the active dialogue the government agencies have maintained since 2019 with a view to advancing business and friendly relations in 2020. The two ministers discussed the advancement of bilateral cooperation, personnel training, and materiel support for rescue workers. Nigeria is interested in Belarusian experience of training rescue workers in this year 2020.

‪ Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola also held bilateral talks on Security and other matters of interest with General Colonel Viktor Shejman, Chief of Presidential Affairs of the Republic of Belarus in Minsk, ‬ ‪At the Central Mosque in Minsk, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola was received by the Grand Mufti (Chief Imam) of the city of Minsk during a courtesy visit to the mosque in company of CG @CIVILDEFENDERS, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu and others on the entourage.‬ @ Minsk, Belarus
A delegation of the Ministry of Interior and the Security and Civil Defense Corps of Nigeria led by Minister of Interior Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has visited Belarus. Members of the delegation met with Belarusian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Vashchenko.
The visit to Belarus is viewed as a continuation of the active dialogue the government agencies have maintained since 2019 with a view to advancing business and friendly relations. The two ministers discussed the advancement of bilateral cooperation, personnel training, and materiel support for rescue workers. A memorandum of understanding in preventing emergencies and alleviating their consequences was signed by the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry and the Security and Civil Defense Corps of Nigeria as a result of the visit.
The delegation visited the Civil Protection University of the Emergencies Ministry. Attention was focused on training personnel from Nigeria in the sphere of civil defense and response to emergencies as well as the organization of disaster response and rescue work with regard to all kinds of transportation, in destroyed buildings and high-rise structures. As many as 68 Nigerian specialists have been trained by the university’s International Rescuers Training Center (IRTCentre) so far.
Members of the delegation were made familiar with the Belarusian experience of training rescue workers for CIS and non-CIS states. They examined a Belarusian fire truck based on a MAZ chassis, specimens of fire-fighting apparel, gear, and equipment developed with assistance of the ministry’s Fire Safety and Emergencies Research Institute.

On December 31, 2019 the Ambassador of Belarus in Nigeria Vyacheslav Bril met with the Minister of interior of Nigeria R.Aregbesola. During the meeting, the parties discussed the prospects for bilateral cooperation in the field of security, civil defense, training of Nigerian military personnel in courses on special military training. The Belarusian side extended an invitation to the Minister of interior of Nigeria to make an official visit to Belarus in January 2020.
Belarus and Nigeria established diplomatic relations on 3 August 1992. In 2019, bilateral trade totaled $11.8 million, 31% up over 2018. Projects aimed at advancing Belarusian-Nigerian cooperation were in focus of a meeting between Belarus and Nigeria. The parties discussed a wide range of areas and projects that could help boost bilateral relations. They focused on prospects of Belarusian-Nigerian cooperation in manufacturing, agribusiness, education, and healthcare, as well as the development of legal framework of bilateral relations.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed satisfaction over the educational ties between Nigeria and Belarus, saying education remains veritable doorway through which the boundless potentials of youths can be positively harnessed for the benefit of society The President made the remark when he received the outgoing Ambassador of Belarus to Nigeria, Mr Vyacheslav Beskosty, who has spent over six years in Nigeria as the pioneer Ambassador of his country.

Over 600 young Nigerians are in Belarus, trying to guarantee a better future for themselves through education,’’ the President said. He added that the relationship between Nigeria and Belarus was sure to grow stronger in the years ahead. In his remarks, Beskosty said Nigeria had “big potential for economic cooperation” with his country, adding that military and technical ties were equally proceeding satisfactorily.

The Federal Government recognized the contributions of Belarus to Nigeria’s development, especially in the area of training of Nigerian troops and the education of Nigerian students, many of who attend tertiary institutions in the eastern European nation. The Vice President restated the determination of the Buhari administration to protect Nigeria’s local industries, emphasizing that “Nigeria hopes to become a country that provides for some of its own needs.” Earlier, the Belarus Ambassador told the Vice President that his country holds Nigeria in high esteem, which informed the expansion of its Mission in Nigeria.
The Vanguard, a Nigerian daily, carried a report on September 28, 2013 confirmed by the Ministry of Defense, that 1,200 Nigerian soldiers, police, and Department of State Services (DSS) are being trained by Russian special forces. The Vanguard says that Abuja has turned to Moscow following an “alleged snub or nonchalant attitude of the United States and the United Kingdom toward Nigeria in her fight against Boko Haram terrorists.” According to the Vanguard, Russian instructors participated in the selection process of those to be trained. The training is to last four months. A South African news portal reports that the Nigerian Army is seeking the funds to purchase at least three advanced surveillance aircraft from the Czech Republic. It also reports that Belarus has agreed to provide twelve attack helicopters for which the Nigerian government will pay in instalments over the next seven years.
Belarus has established an embassy in Abuja after 20 years of maintaining diplomatic relations with Nigeria. Nigeria and Belarus had in the past 20 years, been cooperating at the level of international organisations such as the UN. “We have been supporting each other’s candidates in various committees at the UN and other bodies. Both nations had been involved in trade and investment with the volume standing at 97.3 million dollars in 2011. The figure accounts for rubber, cocoa and leather imports from Nigeria while Belarus’ exports were in fertilizer, oil products and printing.
The new areas of cooperation to include education and culture, at least, 500 Nigerian students were studying privately in Belarus. Belarus is interested in investment and will be partnering with Bauchi State to assemble Belarusian tractors. “Bauchi already has a factory for this. It is a very good site. Since they will be locally produced, the tractors will be affordable. The partnership will also include technical assistance and capacity-building for Nigerians. Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe were listed as the possible location for a 200 million dollar electricity project by a Belarusian company, MG Motors. The establishment of an embassy in Abuja, Belarus now have four missions in Africa located in Libya, Egypt and South Africa.