Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 16 April (BelTA) – Belarus hopes for normalization of the Belarusian-European relations during Lithuania’s Presidency in the European Union in H2 2013, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he received credentials from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to Belarus Evaldas Ignatavicius on 16 April.

“We hope that the Lithuanian Presidency in the EU in H2 2012 will become a period of active work to normalize the Belarusian-European relations,” the head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that Belarus and Lithuania share common history, culture, values and traditions. “As the proverb goes, we have nothing to fight over. The two countries have a range of shared interests in security, trade, industrial cooperation. We need to make use of the transport and logistics potential. We are ready to make our relations a paragon of genuine neighborliness,” the Belarusian leader noted.

“If Lithuania wants to cooperate with us, and it does, and if Lithuania gets rid of some of the pressures, then we will be able to build up such relations that our peoples expect from us, and not only the people but also the political elite of your country and here. We are ready for that,” the President of Belarus said.

“I understand you and the leadership of Lithuania. I understand and see everything. Nevertheless, somehow we need to gradually get rid of the burden of external influence,” underscored the Belarusian leader. He recalled that in the 1990s Lithuania was the first to act as it deemed fit and stood firm.

Speaking to the foreign diplomats, Alexander Lukashenko said: "Please do not believe that our country is an outlaw as some write, that we do not merit attention, that we are an undemocratic country with the dictatorship. I think that being ambassadors you will make sense of the situation in Belarus.”