Belarus–Israel relations

In September 2014, an agreement was signed on visa-free entry.[1] The agreement will facilitate travel Israelis who wish to visit their relatives and friends in Belarus, as well as tourism between the countries.[1]

A number of Israeli startups have established operations in Belarus. An example was the Tel Aviv startup Viber, which was outsourced largely to Belarus before its $900 million sale to Japan's Rakuten.[4]

Israel operates an Israeli cultural centre in Minsk.[5] High-school exchange programmes have been established between Israel and Belarus.[6]

The Days of Israeli Culture festival has been held in Belarus, and The Days of Belarusian Culture in Israel.[7] A photo exhibition in Tel Aviv, "Belarus and Israel: 25 Years of Friendship and Partnership", was held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of relations.[8]

Israeli tourists are the eighth largest tourist nationality visiting Belarus. Israeli citizens are interested in Belarus's tourist attractions, recreation facilities, places of worship, monuments dating back to the Second World War, and also places related to more than six centuries of Belarusians and Jews living together.[9]

Joint industrial projects include the creation of the Belarusian-Israeli agro-industrial park, to be completed by 2020. A number of joint projects in the field of agriculture are successfully implemented with the participation of Israeli capital and technology in Belarus in recent years.[10]

The joint Belarusian-Israeli Committee for Trade and Economic Cooperation is headed by Alexander Popkov and Sofa Landver.[11]

In May 2018, Belarus' State Science and Technology Committee and Israel's Ministry of Science, Technology and Space concluded an agreement on cooperation in science and technology. The parties will set up a joint working group on cooperation in science and technology.[12]

In April 2000, Israel and Belarus signed an agreement on avoidance of double taxation and an agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments. In October 2000, an agreement on trade and economic cooperation between the two countries was signed.

The following intergovernmental agreements have been signed between Israel and Belarus:

• On the establishment of diplomatic relations,
• On trade and economic cooperation,
• On the promotion and mutual protection of investments,
• On the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital,
• On cooperation in the field of agriculture and processing industry,
• On cooperation in the field of air transport,
• On cooperation in combating crime,
• On cooperation in the field of education, science and culture,
• On the mutual establishment and operation of cultural centers,
• On cooperation in the field of tourism,
• On cooperation in the field of standardisation, meteorology and conformity assessment,
• On cooperation in the field of health and medicine.

In July 2002 and December 2006 in Minsk, two rounds of Belarusian-Israeli consultations were held between the Foreign Ministry at the level of deputy foreign ministers.

Agreements on cooperation between the cities of Vitebsk and Rishon Lezion (March 2008), as well as between the cities of Hlybokaye and Kiryat Bialik (May 2011) have been signed.

On February 21, 2011 in Israel, the mayor of Grodno, Boris Kozelkov, and the mayor of Ashkelon, Benny Vaknin, signed an agreement on the establishment of sister-city ties between Grodno and Ashkelon.[15]

On March 28, 2012 in Israel, the mayor of Brest, Alexander Polyshenkov, and the mayor of Ashdod, Yehiel Lasri, signed an agreement on establishing twin-city relations between Brest and Ashdod.