On January 20, 2015, the first in Center for Latin American Studies in Belarus opened at the BSEU School of International Business Communications. Present in the event were the heads and representatives of diplomatic missions of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; the Republic of Cuba; the Federative Republic of Brazil; the Republic of Ecuador, the Honorary Consuls of Uruguay and Ecuador, as well as the representatives of sponsor institutions and organizations,  and those from the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs, heads and lecturers of Minsk universities, and secondary school teachers. This event was widely reported in the mass media:
http://ont.by/news/our_news/v-bgey-otkrilsya-pervij-naychno-prakticheskij-centr-latinoamerikanskih-issl

Such Centers are functioning at universities around the world, for example, in the USA, China, France, Canada, and Spain.

Currently the Republic of Belarus maintains diplomatic relations with 31 out of the 33 states of Latin America.

Belarus has embassies in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba and Ecuador. In addition, there are honorary consulates in Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Ecuador. The number of Latin American countries with Belarusian diplomatic missions concurrently accredited is constantly expanding.

The embassies of Brazil, Venezuela and Cuba, honorary consulates of Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Ecuador are functioning in Belarus. A number of Latin American diplomatic missions have concurrent accreditation in Belarus. In April 2013 the ambassadors of Mexico, Peru, Chile and Guatemala got concurrent accreditation in Belarus (with their residences being in Moscow, Russia).

Strategic partnership between Belarus and Venezuela is strengthening. Currently there are project implementations in place in the economic and commercial, scientific and technological, and other fields.

The enhancement of the interstate cooperation with Brazil and Cuba also meets the strategic interests of our country. Traditionally, these countries have been Belarus’s important commercial partners in Latin America.

Belarus is expanding its cooperation with Ecuador, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Columbia and other countries of the Latin-American region in various spheres.

Diversification of the Belarusian exports to the region is picking up. Minsk Tractor works, BELAZ heavy truck plant, MAZ Automobile Plant, “Gomselmash", “BELSHINA”, “Naftan”, “Polymir” and other exporters are increasing their positions on the local markets. Under development are the projects of establishing assembly shops of Belarus’s modern machinery.

The development of the Latin-American markets requires solid material and intellectual resources; therefore, the need in targeted training of specialists is imminent in order to secure partnership with Latin-American countries. In this context, there was made a decision to establish a scholarly-practical Centre for Latin-American Studies at the Belarus State Economic University’s School of International Business Communications.

The agreement of intents on the establishment of the Center for Latin-American Studies centre was signed on March 21, 2014 by Mr Américo Díaz Núñez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Republic of Belarus of the one part, and Professor V. N. Shimov, the BSEU Rector, of the other part.

The activities of the Centre include such areas as economics, culture, geography, literature, pedagogics, art, ecology, politics, law, sociology, communications, international relations, and others. The opportunity to get reliable information about Latin-American countries and debate on various issues with foreign experts is given to professors, students and anyone interested. In addition, the establishment of the Centre envisages active cooperation of universities and other institutions, as well as the participants of the Belarusian-Latin American projects through studying the problems of the Latin-American region, conducting research, debate, training specialists and disseminating knowledge about Latin America with the help of the state agencies, diplomatic and cultural representative offices of the Latin-American states accredited in Belarus.

The Center for Latin-American Studies was established by the joint efforts of the representatives of diplomatic missions of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Republic of Cuba, as well as the honorable consulates of the Republic of Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay.

The Belarus State Economic University is thankful to the sponsors who have contributed to the establishment of the Center for Latin-American Studies, notably CJSC "Belzarubezhstroy", CJSC “Pinskdrev” holding company, CJSC “Horizont-Belinvest-Developer”, and JC Savings Bank “ASB Belarusbank”.