Events

Vladimir Makei met with Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, Minister of State for Europe and the Americas at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Alan Duncan and colleagues from other countries to discuss the bilateral cooperation and the situation in the region.

Vladimir Makei and Secretary General of the European External Action Service Helga Schmid exchanged views on prospects for the development of relations between Belarus and the EU following the Eastern Partnership summit. Pan-European and regional security amd the relations between Belarus and the alliance were high on the agenda of a meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller.

The Belarusian minister and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger reviewed the situation in the region, the prospects of further cooperation between Belarus and the organization, including the implementation of joint projects. They opened the thematic event dedicated to the ways of strengthening international efforts to combat human trafficking. The event was organized by Belarus and the OSCE Secretariat in furtherance of the resolution against trafficking in persons sponsored by Belarus and adopted by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.

Attending the event were representatives of the international organizations based in Vienna that make part of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Organization for Migration, the European Bureau of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Center for Migration Policy Development, and also delegations from Austria, the UK, Italy, Russia, the United States and other OSCE member states, NGOs.

Vladimir Makei also met with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir to discuss cooperation in the media sector.

The OSCE Ministerial Council meeting ended with the adoption of a number of outcome documents, including the resolution on combating sexual abuse of children. The document was co-authored by Belarus.