&w=3840&q=100)
Belarus and Iran, both friends of Putin, plan to strengthen military and broader ties
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian shake hands during a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, on Wednesday. Reuters
Belarus and Iran - two countries that have backed Russia's war in Ukraine - plan to deepen bilateral ties across all areas including defence, their presidents said at talks in Minsk on Wednesday.
Belarusian state news agency Belta said presidents Alexander Lukashenko and Masoud Pezeshkian agreed to work on a strategic partnership treaty.
'In conditions of geopolitical turbulence, Minsk and Tehran are undertaking consistent and balanced steps to further develop cooperation, and are working hard to turn each new challenge into a new opportunity,' it quoted Lukashenko as saying.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
'We are ready to discuss any issues, we have no closed topics,' Lukashenko said, adding that the two countries could partner across a range of areas including 'military-technical cooperation'.
Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory as a launchpad for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and later assented to hosting Russian tactical nuclear missiles.
Iran has supplied drones to Russia for use in the war and Pezeshkian signed a strategic cooperation treaty with Putin in January, although it did not include a mutual defence clause.
Both Iran and Belarus are under what Pezeshkian described as 'illegal Western sanctions'. Belta quoted him as saying Iran was ready to help Belarus 'neutralise' such measures, noting that it had more than 40 years of experience in this area.
Pezeshkian said the two countries needed to build their economic and other ties to a level that matched the high level of trust between them.
'Of course, our common views should be implemented in the economic and cultural spheres, in the development of tourism between our countries, and also, as you noted, in the development of military-technical cooperation,' Belta quoted him as telling Lukashenko.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
22 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Vikram Solar shifts expansion focus to Tamil Nadu, Bengal unit to see limited growth
Synopsis Vikram Solar Ltd, an Indian solar panel manufacturer, is significantly expanding its production capacity, targeting 17.5 GW for modules and 12 GW for cells by FY27. While maintaining its West Bengal presence, the company will focus new projects in Tamil Nadu, including an integrated solar cell and module facility. Reuters City-based solar panel maker Vikram Solar Ltd will see the bulk of its upcoming capacity expansion shift to Tamil Nadu, even as the company targets an aggressive ramp-up to 17.5 GW of solar modules and 12 GW of solar cells by FY27, officials present, the company operates 4.5 GW of module capacity - with its largest plant of 3.5 GW at Falta SEZ in West Bengal and 1.3 GW at Oragadam near lion's share of new projects, however, will now come up at Vallam and Gangaikondan in Tamil Nadu, including a major integrated solar cell and module facility involving significant capital expenditure. In West Bengal, Vikram Solar will invest Rs 400 crore to add 2 GW of modules at its Falta unit, taking its total capacity there to 5.5 GW."By FY27 we are aiming to ramp up capacity to 17.5 GW of modules and backward integration for a capacity of 12 GW of cells," CMD Gyanesh Chaudhary the first phase, the expansion - comprising 6 GW of modules and 3 GW of cell manufacturing - will be funded through a mix of IPO proceeds, debt, and incentives. Tamil Nadu will extend about Rs 900 crore in subsidies to the company over the lifecycle of the new projects. Meanwhile, Vikram Solar's Rs 2,079.4 crore IPO, which opened on August 19 and closes on August 21, is already oversubscribed 4.4 times. The company raised Rs 620.81 crore from 43 institutional investors via the anchor book on August issue comprises a fresh issue of Rs 1,500 crore and an offer for sale by promoters. Post-issue, the promoter stake will fall to 63.1 per cent from 77.6 per Vikram Solar has secured Rs 1,700 crore debt financing from IREDA, while PLI incentives of Rs 528 crore and Tamil Nadu subsidies of Rs 900 crore will support the in 2006, Vikram Solar is among India's largest solar module makers and is now seeking to build a fully integrated solar ecosystem with backward linkages into cell manufacturing.
The Hindu
22 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Iran says will deploy new missiles if Israel attacks again
Iran said Wednesday (August 20, 2025) it was prepared for any new Israeli attack, announcing it has developed missiles with greater capabilities than those used during their recent 12-day war. "The missiles used in the 12-day war were manufactured... a few years ago," Defence Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency. "Today, we have manufactured and possess missiles with far greater capabilities than previous missiles, and if the Zionist enemy embarks on the adventure again, we will undoubtedly use them." In mid-June, Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a war in which Iran responded with missile and drone strikes. The Israeli offensive killed senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others, striking both military sites and residential areas. The United States briefly joined the war with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24. Iranian officials have since warned that another round of fighting could erupt at any moment, emphasising that Tehran does not seek war but remains prepared for any confrontation. On Monday, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Iran should be "prepared at every moment for confrontation". "We are not even in a ceasefire; we are in a cessation of hostilities," he added. Iranian media reported that the army is to begin a two-day military exercise on Thursday, featuring a wide range of short and medium-range cruise missiles. Western governments have repeatedly voiced concern about Iran's missile programme, calling it a threat to regional security. In July, France called for a "comprehensive deal" with Tehran that covers not only its nuclear programme but also its missile programme and its regional ambitions. Iran has insisted that its military capabilities are not up for negotiation.
The Hindu
22 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Russia says captured three settlements in Ukraine's east
The Russian army said Wednesday (August 20, 2025) it had captured three villages in eastern Ukraine, claiming fresh territorial gains despite U.S.-led peace efforts and a flurry of diplomacy to end the conflict. Also Read | Russian attack on Poltava shows Putin does not want peace, Ukraine says Russia's Defence Ministry said on Telegram its troops had "continued to advance deep into the enemy defences" in the embattled Donetsk region, taking the villages of Sukhetske and Pankivka. They are near a section of the front where the Russian army broke through Ukrainian defences last week, between the logistics hub of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka. In the neighbouring central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region the Russian army said it had captured the village of Novogeorgiivka. Moscow's troops first entered the region — previously spared from fighting — in July. These latest advances come amid accelerated efforts by the U.S. and European leaders to broker a peace deal that would end the offensive, now in its fourth year. U.S. President Donald Trump said his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had agreed to meet the Ukrainian leader and accept some Western security guarantees for Kyiv. These promises were met with caution in European capitals. According to three sources familiar with a Monday call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin, the Russian leader proposed holding the summit with Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow — an idea rejected by the Ukrainian President.
