Opinions & Interviews
Belarus president underlines importance of keeping peace in Europe
MINSK, 19 April (BelTA) – It is of vital importance to preserve peace and prosperity in Europe. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement as he addressed the nation and the parliament on 19 April, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that only a broad strategic dialogue can overcome existing contradictions on the planet, including in the common Euro-Atlantic space. “It doesn’t matter what the dialogue may be called – Helsinki 2 or something else. Results are what matters. It doesn’t matter where it will happen. It doesn’t matter who will initiate it. We don’t want people to die due to our political ineptitude,” the president stressed. “It is of vital importance to preserve peace and prosperity in Europe – our common home. We encourage all our partners to get involved today.”
The Belarusian head of state believes it is abnormal that not even a conflict but a war is going on in Europe. “We cannot get together at the level of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, at the level of heads of state. Because it is disadvantageous for someone,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The Belarusian leader pointed out that Minsk had earned a reputation as a neutral ground for negotiations and contacts on the most difficult items on the international agenda. “We take pride in this fact. And we do and will continue doing our best in order to restore peace and accord in the Ukrainian land,” the head of state noted. Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that it was not the business of Ukraine alone. Events in Ukraine strongly worry Belarus because they happen so close.
These days Belarus is interesting not only from the point of tourism. “It is a comfortable country to live in. Safe, cozy, and beautiful. But it is very difficult to keep our domestic balance while standing at the geographical crossroads of Europe, at the junction of geopolitical interests of major global powers and unions. It is a top-priority task of Belarusian diplomacy,” the president said.
“We remember lessons of the past. We analyze the current international situation. It is objectively getting more and more complicated. This is why we do everything to get away from the standoff between the East and the West and warn the world about a new civilizational split. It is the key purpose of our foreign policy, our peaceful initiatives aimed at bringing together different integration formats and at bolstering trust and security,” the Belarusian leader concluded.
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