Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who visited Zimbabwe for the first time, today poked fun at Western economic sanctions, saying they were actually a “boon” as they helped boost trade between the two countries.

Lukashenko came under US sanctions, as did his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“Sanctions against Belarus and Zimbabwe are not just a curse, but a blessing, because without them, Zimbabwe could continue to trade with the West, selling its natural resources,” Lukashenka said at a press conference in the Zimbabwean capital Harare.

“Because of the sanctions, Zimbabwe is trading with Belarus, and we are happy about that,” he continued, saying he was ready to provide the South African country with “everything it needs.”

In recent years, Belarus has delivered hundreds of tractors to Zimbabwe (worth 61 million euros).

Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He has been in power for nearly 30 years and in 2020 violently cracked down on protests against his re-election amid allegations of fraud.

Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after a military coup that overthrew his predecessor, Robert Mugabe.

Source: APE-MPE, AFP.