MOSCOW -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in Minsk on Friday that his country sees eye-to-eye with Iranian leaders on all sensitive international issues and is ready to discuss cooperation with Iran in all fields.

The Belarusian president made the friendly remarks in a meeting with Iran's visiting Trade Minister, Mohammad Shariatmadari. Expressing delight over the expanding level of relations between the two countries, President Lukashenko said, "the level of our trade ties unfortunately does not match the Minsk-Tehran excellent political relations, and needs to be drastically boosted."

He also asked for being more serious in implemantaton of joint projects and plans on the part of both sides.

The Belarusian president considered the progress in bilateral ties as the result of the good work of the joint economic and trade comission, asking for further dynamism of the said commission. He added, "Nothing is off-limits for cooperation between the two countries and we are ready to hear any proposal in that regard."

Shariatmadari, the Iranian head of the two countries' joint commission, too, expressed delight over the expanding level of the two countries relations, particularly the newly established trade ties with Belarusian partners.

He also expressed hope that President Khatami's state visit of Belarusia in the second half of 2003 would boost bilateral ties in all fields.

During his four-day visit, Shariatmadari also met with Foreign Minister Mikhail Khvostov, Trade Minister Alexander Kulichkov and other officials.

They discussed launching joint production of electronics and machinery, the Belarusian foreign ministry said.

Trade turnover between Belarus and Iran was $38.7 million last year.