The upcoming holding of the 18th Joint Economic Commission of the two countries in Tehran, the exchange of high-ranking delegations, and the possible signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries will lead to an unprecedented leap in the multidimensional cooperation between the two countries.
During the official visit of the President of Belarus, Mr. Alexander Lukashenko, to Iran in March 2023, the “Roadmap of Comprehensive Cooperation for 2023-2026” and eight cooperation documents in various fields were signed.
Meanwhile, the recent visit of Masoud Pezeshkian to Minsk in August 2025, the signing of 12 cooperation documents in various fields, and the issuance of a joint statement by the presidents of Belarus and Iran reflect the closeness of the positions of the two countries in matters of bilateral, regional, and international relations and the satisfaction of the parties with the progress of active exchanges of meetings and deeper interactions.
The issuance of the statement by the heads of the two countries is a kind of new legal and operational framework for cooperation, and the expression of common views and positions.
From the perspective of Minsk, Belarus is a friend and reliable partner for Iran and supports Iran’s right to develop peaceful nuclear energy. For Belarus, Iran is a key ally in the Middle East and an influential player on the global stage.
Tehran also sees the relations as a continuation of Iran’s foreign policy and an emphasis on the multipolarity of the world, the preservation of national sovereignty, independence, and resistance, and greater cooperation with allies.
From a geopolitical perspective, given the many common and consistent views, ideological proximity on international developments, emphasis on a multipolar world order, and building a multipolar world against unilateralism play an important role in strengthening relations.
In a recent meeting between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Khatibzadeh and Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, Ryzhenkov emphasized the serious will to develop and deepen relations with Tehran in various fields. Saeed Khatibzadeh also emphasized the importance of developing strategic partnerships in the region and supported the idea of forming a Eurasian Charter. In addition, despite their geographical distance, inter-parliamentary cooperation, the Belarus-Iran Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, cooperation in international forums, and mutual support are considered.
In this regard, the Eurasian Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the BRICS are frameworks and platforms that help each other, facilitating and expanding constructive interactions between Iran and Belarus.
In fact, both sides have announced plans to prepare and sign a strategic cooperation agreement in the near future. Reviewing the roadmap of cooperation between the two countries and signing a possible strategic cooperation document will be very important and decisive in upgrading the relations between the two countries to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Economy and Logistics
The previous roadmap also included cooperation in the economic, scientific, and technical fields of education and tourism. However, the signing of 12 cooperation documents and new memorandums of understanding between Iran and Belarus in the economic and investment fields in free zones can be a framework for reducing the effects of sanctions and confronting unilateralism and Western sanctions pressures.
Belarus is successful in the production of heavy agricultural, industrial, and road construction machinery. Joint investment for the production of tractors and dump trucks and cooperation in the supply of various types of specialized machinery open new prospects in the relations between the two countries.
In addition to Iran’s oil, petrochemical, and agricultural capacities, some of the common areas of cooperation between Belarus and Iran are in the fields of international science and technology, medicine, energy, new energy sources, microbiology and nanotechnology, and wood processing.
Belarus’ membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran’s interest in developing closer relations with the organization are effective in expanding relations.
In September, Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade arrived in Minsk to attend the Eurasian Economic Union summit and visit the country’s economic and industrial capacities.
Belarus’s willingness to use the Iran Transit Route and the North-South Corridor (INSTC) to export products to third-country markets and the agreement to launch a direct Minsk-Tehran flight could broaden relations.
The complementary economies of Iran and Belarus in many areas, the establishment of permanent trade offices of the two countries in 2024, and the implementation of new agreements could boost the small volume of trade below $200 million.
Belarus’s approach to removing the visa barrier and the two countries’ agreement to establish direct flights will also create a platform for a leap in multidimensional cooperation, such as the development of tourism.
Last year, bilateral trade turnover grew by more than 14 percent, but expanding trade through the Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement with Iran, using alternative logistics routes, and access to the Persian Gulf could also help relations.
Military and Security
Military-technical cooperation between the two sides expanded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation in July 2023, Belarus’ participation in anti-terrorism exercises in Iran in 2024, and the opening of an Iranian military attaché office in Minsk.
In March 2025, the defense ministers of Iran and Belarus signed a defense cooperation agreement. Then, in May, Belarusian military officials visited Tehran, and in early November, air force commanders in Minsk discussed deepening cooperation in the areas of air force and air defense. Indeed, common views in political and geopolitical areas play a prominent role in the development of long-term security and military-technical cooperation.
Culture and Tourism
The memorandum of understanding on new cooperation in the fields of education and medical sciences, media, national news agencies, cinema, and tourism, along with student exchange, and the launch of direct flights and the expansion of Iranology studies, will help strengthen cultural and soft relations.
Outlook
The political relations between the two countries are growing and at a very positive level. However, economic-logistical relations require more dynamics and an increase in the volume of multidimensional exchanges.
Problems such as sanctions by the West also complicate financial and banking transactions. Sometimes strategic documents encounter problems in the implementation process. Therefore, accelerating the implementation and operationalization of agreements between the two countries should be seriously pursued.
However, likely, strategies to resist the pressure of sanctions and seek independent economic solutions will create extensive opportunities for cooperation in various sectors.
Certainly, with the upcoming visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister to Minsk, the upcoming visit of the Belarusian President to Tehran in 2026, and the pursuit of some joint projects, the agenda of bilateral relations.
In the meantime, the upcoming holding of the 18th Joint Economic Commission of the two countries in Tehran, the exchange of high-ranking delegations, and the possible signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries will lead to an unprecedented leap in the multidimensional cooperation between the two countries.
Samyar Rostami, а political observer and senior researcher in international relations
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