News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 18 October (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko held a working meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei on 18 October. After the meeting Vladimir Makei told reporters what topics were on the agenda of the meeting with the head of state, BelTA has learned.

Vladimir Makei informed the president about the outcomes of the recent meeting of ministers of foreign affairs of the Eastern Partnership member states in Luxembourg on 15 October.

“The president was informed about the work to elaborate joint documents with the European Union. These are documents on partnership priorities, agreements on visa facilitation and readmission. All in all, considerable progress has been achieved on all of them. However, some new circumstances emerge every now and then through no fault of ours; it takes time to analyze and specify them and make decisions,” the minister noted.

In his words, Belarus will keep working on these documents bearing in mind national interests. “There is a clear position of the head of state to keep normalizing relations with the European Union, first of all, economic, political and humanitarian contacts,” the diplomat noted.

The foreign minister informed the head of state about results of the ministry’s foreign economic activities. It was noted that export remains on the growth track. “However, the growth pace is decelerating a little bit. But overall, we expect positive results by the year-end. The president emphasized that everyone should get involved in this work: regions, ministries and naturally heads of diplomatic missions,” Vladimir Makei said.

Top on the agenda were forthcoming meetings, visits by foreign delegations and overseas visits of the head of state, the minister informed.

He noted that the end of the year will be packed with events at the high and highest levels. Among them is the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Ukraine due in Gomel on 25-26 October. Participants of the forum are to sign a great number of documents – agreements and contracts – to the tune of dozens of million dollars. “The work is in full swing; there are no unresolved issues. The head of state instructed to conduct this event in the best way possible,” the diplomat noted.

The president was also briefed on the preparations for the upcoming Munich Security Conference Core Group meeting in Minsk on 30 October -1 November. The event is expected to bring together presidents and prime ministers of other countries, foreign ministers, chiefs and representatives of security agencies and think tanks. “The agenda is very relevant. The conference will discuss ways to avoid further confrontation in the region. The head of state gave instructions related to the preparation and conduct of this event,” Vladimir Makei said.