Events

MFA: Belarus invites Lithuania to discuss all issues at the negotiating table

An archive photo

MINSK, 9 December (BelTA) – Belarus has invited Lithuania to jointly discuss all existing issues at the negotiating table, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Igor Sekreta told journalists, BelTA reports.

Igor Sekreta participated in the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting held in Vienna on 4-5 December.

Igor Sekreta remarked: “I took part in the annual OSCE Ministerial Council meeting. We persistently urged our Lithuanian partners to take advantage of this opportunity [to hold talks]. Given that the Lithuanian delegation was also represented at the level of Deputy Foreign Minister, it was the right moment to convene and work through all outstanding issues on our bilateral agenda. But even though the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship persistently offered its services to the Lithuanian side in organizing such a meeting, the Lithuanian delegation did not agree to it.”

He believes the explanation for this is very simple. “For some reason, any contacts at the political level with the Belarusian side are perceived by the Lithuanian side as a defeat,” Igor Sekreta said.

Addressing the reasons, the Belarusian diplomat noted: “Why is this happening? Probably because in Vilnius, especially in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is no interest in resolving the problems of ordinary citizens, carriers, and tourists, those whom the government and state-run agencies should serve first and foremost.”

Igor Sekreta emphasized that the Belarusian side was prepared to discuss the full range of accumulated problems, but the situation remains unchanged.

The deputy minister expressed hope that the opinions of reasonable politicians in Lithuania will soon prevail, leading to a decision to hold such a meeting.

print version

make home page

add to bookmarks