Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers his annual State of the Nation Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly in Minsk on April 24, 2018.

MINSK, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday praised rapid development of bilateral relations between Belarus and China.

"The relations with China have been developing rapidly," the president said in his annual State of the Nation Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly.

The president stressed that the ties between the two countries have been expanding dynamically both in quantity and quality.

He recalled that in 2016, the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership, featuring mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Besides, the Belarusian leader spoke highly of China's Belt and Road Initiative, saying that his country will actively participate in it. "This is a new strategy of international cooperation based on the principles of support and co-development," he added.