Opinions & Interviews

MOSCOW, 8 April (BelTA) – The recent visit of a Pentagon representative to Minsk represents an attempt to resume a normal dialogue between Belarus and the USA in military affairs. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei made the statement at a press conference in Moscow on 8 April, BelTA has learned.

During the press conference a reporter said that Russian mass media went into hysterics after the Pentagon representative visited Minsk. “Honestly speaking, I’ve noticed no hysterics and Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov made no complaints about it today,” said Vladimir Makei. “Why, we don’t make any complaints when Russia’s representatives met with representatives of NATO, the European Union, and other Western bodies. It is part of the normal dialogue.”

Vladimir Makei underlined that the Pentagon representative’s visit to Minsk should not be considered as a stab aimed at Russia. Belarus and the USA have had no contacts in military affairs for nearly ten years and the Belarusian side would like to get some answers concerning NATO’s expansion to the east and other security problems. “The visit of the Pentagon representative builds up on the normal full-value dialogue between the defense ministries of the two countries,” concluded Vladimir Makei.