Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 5 October (BelTA) – The Vatican is a stable and reliable partner for Belarus, including in terms of cooperation with other countries and international organizations, Belarus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said during the event held on 4 October to mark the opening of new premises of the Apostolic Nunciature in Minsk and the 25^th anniversary since diplomatic relations between Belarus and the Holy See were established, BelTA has learned.

“We share similar approaches to ensuring peace and stability, social justice, and we are working together to preserve traditional values,” the minister said.

Vladimir Makei congratulated all participants of the ceremony on the opening of a new building of the Apostolic Nunciature in Belarus. “First of all, I would like to congratulate Apostolic Nuncio Gabor Pinter and his people on this important and significant event. I wish his team every success in their work in Belarus,” Vladimir Makei said.

Vladimir Makei stressed that “today's event is deeply symbolic, as in a little more than a month, on 11 November, we will be celebrating 25 years of the diplomatic relations between Belarus and the Vatican”. "Over the past 25 years Belarus and the Vatican have been developing an active, constructive and trust-based dialogue, have been exchanging visits at all levels on a regular basis. We highly appreciate the results of the visit of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to the Vatican last year and his meeting with Pope Francis. As you know, that meeting confirmed an invitation for the Pope to visit Belarus," the minister said.

Attending the opening ceremony for the new premises of the Apostolic Nunciature in Minsk were Deputy Secretary of State of the Vatican Giovanni Angelo Becciu, Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus, Archbishop Gabor Pinter, Metropolitan of Minsk and Mogilev, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Pavel, Chairman (mufti) of the Moslem Religious Association Abu-Bekir Shabanovich, Belarus’ Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities Leonid Gulyako, and also representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Belarus.