Opinions & Interviews

“The very fact of the address made by the Russian president in as publicly as possible indicates that Minsk has been recognized as the most promising venue for finding ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis,” said Nikolai Shchyokin. It has been reported earlier that at the meeting in Sochi on 8 February President of Russia Vladimir Putin addressed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko with a request to help arrange a Normandy format meeting on Ukraine. Vladimir Putin thanked Alexander Lukashenko for actions aimed at resolving the crisis in Ukraine and asked to help “arrange the meeting the way you have been doing it up till now by kindly providing Minsk as a venue for meetings of experts”.

Nikolai Shchyokin remarked that Vladimir Putin’s request for Alexander Lukashenko’s assistance vividly demonstrates that Minsk is now recognized as a diplomatic capital. Thanks to the Minsk format and the Normandy format all those interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis are granted opportunities to reach a compromise, the expert believes. He stressed that Minsk’s rating has increased tangibly lately. The international community has recognized efforts of the Belarus president to enable the conditions for the negotiations. Both heads of state and members of the general public in many countries across the globe feel gratitude with regard to the country that has created a venue for meetings in any formats.