Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky met separately with Chinese Minister of Finance Jin Renqing in Minsk on Monday to discuss bilateral economic ties.

According to a member of the Chinese delegation, they explored ways to further enhance the Chinese-Belarusian friendship and to deepen trade and economic cooperation.

Sidorsky and Jin also attended a signing ceremony of two inter-governmental agreements, under which China will provide preferential loans to Belorussia, especially for the reconstruction of the Minsk 2nd Power and Heating Plant.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2007)