U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale said that wars are complicating negotiations over the release of Belarusian political prisoners. He made the remarks in an interview with Reuters, the full material of which is available by paid subscription, Zerkalo reports.
Coale gave details of his negotiations with Aliaksandr Lukashenka over the release of prisoners. According to him, the initial list contained two people, then grew to 14, after which the number kept changing.
“At first there were two. Then 14. Then the numbers went up and down… For me, the important thing is that the process moves forward and people gain their freedom. And today I left [in Vilnius] a group of 25 people who are very happy. They are returning to normal life, and that is the most important thing. I think the negotiations are becoming more intense now. I mean, they are happening more frequently. And I believe that in the very near future we will be able to secure the release of people in the hundreds. But today we managed to get 25 people out. I consider that a success. We are moving in the right direction,” Coale said.
He also said that U.S. President Donald Trump was “very pleased with the results.”
“I would say that I largely followed President Trump’s approach: no preconditions for negotiations — just talk. You have to get the process going, not give up, but continue to act persistently — and that brings success,” the Special Envoy said.
“If it weren’t for these wars, we would have gotten everyone out by next Tuesday,” he said.
“But wars create difficulties for our government, for the government of Belarus and for everyone else in the world. So that is an important factor. It would be wonderful if these wars ended now or in the near future. But they seriously complicate international relations,” Coale added.
He also said that he had found an approach to Aliaksandr Lukashenka:
“At the end, when I was leaving, I shook his hand and asked, ‘Are we still friends?’ He laughed and replied, ‘Yes.’”
Today, following talks between John Coale and Aliaksandr Lukashenka, 25 people were released. They were taken from Belarus to Lithuania. In exchange, the United States will lift sanctions on Bellesprom and Lakokraska. Coale also said that the release of political prisoners and the lifting of sanctions will continue.
