Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 5 March (BelTA) – The West has acknowledged the role of Belarus in the system of pan-European security, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with high-ranking officers of Belarusian law enforcement agencies on 5 March, BelTA has learned.

“You have noticed that high-level representatives of western countries visit Belarus these days. There are different responses to that. I am upset by the fact that some say that Lukashenko wants to reap benefits in the run-up the election. It is not my intention. The main thing is that it benefits our state. Ukraine, Russia and the West are grateful to us,” the Belarusian leader said.

“They (representatives of western countries. – BelTA’s note) come to Belarus with a rather pragmatic purpose. And I support them in this. Now they have realized what the security in Europe should be; what role Belarus can play in this system in our common European home. Europeans understand it and are ready to cooperate with us in order to promote security in Europe. We tell them that we are open for it,” Alexander Lukashenko stated.

According to the President, Belarus is in favor of developing equal and mutually beneficial relations with various states. “We do not have any territorial claims, do not create any problems to our neighbors. We are a reliable partner in promoting security, good-neighborliness and cooperation. We fulfill our obligations and international agreements. We respect sovereign rights of all peoples and expect that other states will have the same attitude to Belarus,” the President said.