When did India and Belarus establish diplomatic relations?

Formal diplomatic relations were established in 1992, when India opened its mission in Minsk. India was one of the first countries to recognise Belarus as independent, in 1991.

Has the President of Belarus visited India?

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, President Alexander Lukashenko visited India in September 1997, on a State visit in April 2007 and on a State visit on 11-12 September 2017.

What dialogue mechanisms do India and Belarus have?

They include Foreign Office Consultations, the Intergovernmental Commission, the Joint Commission on Military Technical Cooperation and other thematic mechanisms.

India and Belarus: diplomatic relations and milestones

This article covers the political relationship between India and Belarus: recognition and the establishment of diplomatic relations, visits by leaders and ministers in both directions, parliamentary exchanges and the institutional mechanisms for dialogue. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of June 2026.

Recognition and diplomatic relations

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, India's relations with Belarus "have been traditionally warm and cordial". India was one of the first countries to recognise Belarus as an independent country, in 1991.

Formal diplomatic relations were established, and the Indian diplomatic mission was opened in Minsk, in 1992. India's first Resident Ambassador joined in January 1993.

Visits from India

The brief lists the following visits from India to Belarus, apart from those on trade and industry:

MOS (External Affairs) Shri Salman Khurshid (1995)
MOS (External Affairs) Shri Omar Abdullah (2001)
MOS (S&T) Shri B.S. Rawat (2002)
Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Vikram Verma (2003)
MOS for Science and Technology Mr. Kapil Sibal (2004)
Vice President Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (October 2005)
Chief Minister of Delhi Smt. Sheila Dixit (September 2007)
Chief of the Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor (12-15 March 2008)
Chief Justice of India Shri Justice K.G. Balakrishnan (March 2009 and April 2010)
External Affairs Minister Shri S.M. Krishna (September 2009)
Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri M.M. Pallam Raju (October 2009, and 24-28 May 2011 for MILEX-2011)
Minister of Culture Smt. Chandresh Kumari Katoch (October 2013)

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, visited Belarus from 2-4 June 2015.

Visits from Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko has visited India in September 1997, on a State visit in April 2007, and on a State visit on 11-12 September 2017. Other visits from Belarus listed in the brief include:

Prime Minister Mr. Vyacheslav Kebich (May 1993)
Foreign Minister Mr. Ivan Antonovich (1998)
Prime Minister Mr. Gennady Novitski (November 2002)
Foreign Minister Mr. Mikhail Khvostov (2002)
Minister of Defence Mr. L.S. Maltsev (2004), and Defence Minister Colonel General Leonid Maltsev for Defexpo (February 2008)
Foreign Minister Mr. Sergei Martynov (February 2007)
Chief Election Commissioner Ms. Lydia Ermoshina, on a study tour (March 2007)
Mr. Justice Poyotr P. Miklashevich, Head of the Constitutional Court (13-15 November 2008)
First Deputy Minister of Information Ms. Lilia Ananich
Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, on an official visit (14-15 April 2015)

Foreign ministry visits and consultations

Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) have brought several senior Belarusian diplomats to India. Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Sergei Aleinik visited on 21-22 February 2012 for FOC, and Deputy Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Andrei Dapkiunas co-chaired the 6th Session of FOC in October 2018. Mr. Aleinik, as First Deputy Foreign Minister, visited New Delhi for FOC on 03 August 2022.

The 7th round of FOC was held in New Delhi in August 2022, chaired by Secretary (West) and the First Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus. The eighth round was held in Minsk on 27-28 October 2025, led by Secretary (West) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Evgeny Shestakov. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Sergei Aleinik visited New Delhi on 12-13 March 2024 and met the External Affairs Minister (EAM), the Commerce and Industry Minister (CIM) and Secretary DFS.

Parliamentary exchanges

From India:

Deputy Speaker Shri Atwal (2005)
Speaker of Lok Sabha Smt. Meira Kumar (20-22 May 2013)
Speaker of Lok Sabha Smt. Sumitra Mahajan (10-13 June 2018)

From Belarus:

Chairman of the House of Representatives (Lower House) Mr. Vadim Popov (2002 and 2003)
Chairman of the Council of the Republic (Upper House) Mr. Gennady Novitsky (July 2006)
Chairman of the Council of the Republic (Upper House) Mr. Mikhail Myasnikovich, leading a 5-member Parliamentary Delegation to India (10-14 May 2016)

Institutional mechanisms

The brief states that the two countries "enjoy a comprehensive partnership". They exchange views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues through Foreign Office Consultations, the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), the Joint Commission on Military Technical Cooperation and other thematic bilateral mechanisms.