Максим Рыженков. Скриншот видео
Maksim Ryzhankou, Belarus’ foreign minister, said he sees no willingness on Vilnius’ part to talk to Minsk. He also said Belarus is ready for dialogue with Lithuania but does not intend to force negotiations.
According to Ryzhankou, the Belarusian side is ready for talks and to consider any issues.
“There is a lot of speculation on this topic. In fact, we outlined our position long ago and we are not moving away from it. We are ready for dialogue, we are ready to consider any issues that concern our citizens, the citizens of neighbouring states, businesspeople from both countries, and simply people who need an open border, need travel in both directions for various personal, official, cultural and humanitarian initiatives. We did not close this border, we did not build this sanctions fence. We are ready for dialogue,” the head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry told the First Information TV channel.
Ryzhankou stressed that Lithuania should decide on negotiations, but Belarus is not going to speed up the process.
“All this fuss on the other side: whether it is needed or not needed, whether the Americans said so or not. Let them decide, we are ready in general. But we must understand when, with whom and at what level to speak. Let them decide, we have stated our position very clearly. The ball is in their court, we are not going to force anything, everything is fine for us.
Besides, all these steps by the neighbouring country, you know, we generally call self-isolation. If they want to isolate themselves from this entire large space here from Belarus to, условно говоря, Indonesia — then let them limit themselves. If they want to build normal relations, then come and we will talk,” Ryzhankou said.
Asked about the preliminary conditions set by Lithuania for starting dialogue, Ryzhankou said that “unclear conversations” were taking place in Vilnius.
“So far there are some unclear conversations about what, why and how. I generally get the impression that there is some unwillingness to talk to us at all. It is, in fact, just to reassure their public there in the country that, well, you are demanding that we talk to the Belarusians, so we have appointed someone authorised, set some tasks. In reality, we do not see any of this. And we are not going to force it,” Ryzhankou said.
It should be recalled that John Coale, the U.S. president’s special envoy, has spoken in favour of dialogue between Belarus and Lithuania at the level of deputy foreign ministers. He also supported the resumption of transit of Belarusian potash fertilisers through Lithuania.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda named three conditions for starting dialogue with Belarus: halting the launch of weather balloons across the border for four weeks, returning Lithuanian trucks detained by the Belarusian side without additional fees, and stopping the illegal movement of migrants across the border.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said that Lithuania had appointed a representative for negotiations with Minsk. Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry said it had not received any official proposal from Belarus for a meeting at the level of deputy ministers or any other level.