News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 20 December (BelTA) – There can be no security without cooperation, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with the heads of the OSCE mission to observe the parliamentary elections in Belarus on 20 December, BelTA informs.

“We agreed that we can meet any time, should you have such desire, and discuss old and new issues which have emerged or may emerge in the future. Following this agreement and promises, I are meeting with you today to have a sincere conversation,” the head of state said.

He emphasized that the two major topics for discussion were outlined in the run-up to the meeting. These are the preparation of the session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk in 2017 and the Belarusian parliamentary elections.

A decision was made to hold the session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in the middle of 2017, the President reminded. In this context, he stressed: “The issues of security and cooperation, their interrelation should be in the spotlight today like never before. There can be no security without cooperation. As they say, if we continue to mistrust each other and talk to each other through the fence, there will be no security in the region.”

“We must do our best to make our region a safe place,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “You see what is going on in the world: every day is the day of tension in international relations, and we must value our region, your homeland and Belarus as safe and good countries where we can live peacefully and work well.”

The head of state expressed confidence that the forthcoming session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk should be an important step on the way towards ensuring stability and security in the European region.