Opinions & Interviews

Call to keep Minsk as negotiation venue on situation in eastern Ukraine

MINSK, 16 November (BelTA) – I suggest the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine should continue its meetings in Minsk, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in an interview to Belarusian and foreign political observers in Minsk on 13 November, BelTA has learned.

The head of state noted that Minsk remains a convenient place for TCG negotiations in many ways: "Where will you find the best venue? Are you going to go to Nur Sultan? That's a long way off and probably not very convenient. And here we have this triangle Kiev - Moscow - Minsk. A one hour flight and you're here."

The president suggested discussing not only the Ukrainian agenda in Minsk, but also topical issues of trilateral relations between Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. “Many problems have been imposed on Ukraine and Belarus so we could start a trilateral dialogue. I proposed both Putin and Poroshenko back then: let's sit down, the three of us, and solve the Ukrainian problem. It is not the OSCE, or someone else but we who should solve it. Poroshenko did not agree to it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted, “Therefore, if you decide to continue to hold the dialogue here, we will provide you, those who will take part in the dialogue, with everything necessary.”

At the same time, the Belarusian head of state does not rule out the TCG abandoning the Minsk venue. "We provide you with everything you need. But if you don't want to, then it is ok. One trouble less for us. If you don't want to, then don't come," the president said.

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