Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 29 May (BelTA) – Belarus regrets the decision of Ukraine to withdraw its representatives from the CIS statutory bodies, Belarus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei told the media following the talks with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov on 29 May, BelTA has learned.

According to Vladimir Makei, during the talks with his Russian counterpart they discussed the interaction of Belarus and Russia in the CIS, however did not touch on Ukraine’s decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth of Independent States. “Of course, it is the sovereign right of Ukraine. Recently, Ukraine has not attended the meetings of the CIS. We regret this,” Vladimir Makei said.

The minister noted that Ukraine is a party to the important agreements that have been concluded within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States. These agreements cover all spheres of cooperation between the countries. “In our view, the CIS has been a good platform for discussion of matters across the entire spectrum of our cooperation,” Vladimir Makei noted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov fully endorsed his colleague. “It is Ukraine's sovereign right to decide which organizations to participate or not. We are interested in cooperating with all the countries who founded the Commonwealth of Independent States. Constructive interaction is key to the solution of many issues relating to the life and work of our peoples,” the minister noted.