Staff members show the first-day cover of the postage stamps for the "Year of the Snake" from the "Eastern Calendar" series in Minsk, Belarus, Jan. 15, 2025. The set of six stamps, titled "Eastern Calendar: Year of the Snake," consists of an image of a snake in the center. The lower right corner features the Chinese word for "Snake" along with the phrase "Year of the Snake" written in Belarusian. (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)

Postage stamps for the "Year of the Snake" from the "Eastern Calendar" series dedicated to the Lunar New Year were released at the Confucius Institute of the Belarusian State University in Minsk on Wednesday.

The set of six stamps, titled "Eastern Calendar: Year of the Snake," consists of an image of a snake in the center. The lower right corner features the Chinese word for "Snake" along with the phrase "Year of the Snake" written in Belarusian.

Belarusian Minister of Communications and Informatization Konstantin Shulgan said the stamps' publication illustrates how close the relationship between the two countries remains.

Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Zhang Wenchuan said the issuance of Chinese zodiac stamps in Belarus has become a symbolic event for China and Belarus to celebrate the New Year and Spring Festival together, contributing to the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.