MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko conveyed an official message to Syrian leader Bashar Assad with the words of support to the country's leadership and the people of Syria in the fight against terrorism, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Belarus Igor Karpenko said Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Assad in Damascus received an official delegation from Minsk, headed by Karpenko. During the meeting the sides discussed the prospects for settlement of the Syrian conflict and bilateral ties between the two countries.
"The message conveyed words of encouragement to the Syrian people and the president, in particular. It expresses hope that the friendly relations between Belarus and Syria in all areas of cooperation will continue to develop," Karpenko told RIA Novosti.
He added that the Communist Party of Belarus was convinced that every nation had the right to independently choose its own path of development, without external interference.
In February 2015, Minsk and Damascus signed several agreements to enhance bilateral relations during the visit of Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei to Syria.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with the country’s government fighting multiple opposition factions and extremist groups.