Фото: Пул первого
Aliaksandr Lukashenka said there had been progress in negotiations with the United States. He received a report on the results of the work. According to him, relations between Belarus and the European Union are also among the topics discussed at the meeting, as they concern the United States as well.
Prime Minister Aliaksandr Turchyn, Prosecutor General Dzmitry Hora, KGB Chairman Ivan Tertel, Belarus’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Valiantsin Rybakou and, for the first time, Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhankou were invited to the meeting.
“I must say that the US administration has a lot on its plate today. But I greatly appreciate the fact that Donald Trump and his team are paying attention to our contacts. There has been progress on many issues.
Although certain problems are being highlighted, as they put it, involving the exchange of political prisoners for the lifting of sanctions and so on. There are also many other issues on the table today, including embassies and related matters. These include relations between Belarus and the European Union, which also concern the United States of America,” Lukashenka said, according to his press service.
“A little over a month ago, during the latest talks with the American delegation, we agreed to meet and discuss Belarusian-American relations, their current state and our actions for the future,” he continued.
Lukashenka said Valiantsin Rybakou had been tasked with overseeing the process.
“We used him as our representative on specific matters and issues in the United States. He was tasked with conducting negotiations and, most importantly, implementing our agreements. A month ago, we agreed that he would come to Belarus and report to us on the implementation of our agreements,” he explained.
“For our part, we are scrupulously fulfilling what we promised the Americans. At the time, we told the delegation that we very much hoped the Americans would also honour the agreements in full. We agreed to give it a month so that we could make up some ground and the Americans could, as people say, tie up loose ends and move on to the next stage of action. Rybakou will report to us on the situation, what is happening now and what we still need to do,” Lukashenka said.
Lukashenka also sent his warmest wishes to US Special Envoy John Coale and his wife, Greta Conway Van Susteren.
“Please convey my warmest wishes to John Coale and his wife, a prominent and well-known journalist. I also extend my wishes to Donald Trump in recognition of the attention he has given to us,” he said.
In September, US presidential special envoy John Coale visited Minsk. At the time, 25 political prisoners were released and taken out of the country. The United States lifted sanctions on Bellembumprom and Lakokraska. Lukashenka also demanded the return of more than $40 million that had been frozen at Citibank because of sanctions. Coale promised to resolve the issue.
It should be noted that yesterday the United States also removed Andrei Rybakou, CEO of Belaruskali, from its sanctions lists. Sanctions against the potash giant itself had been lifted in the spring.