Sergey Lavrov
MOSCOW, April 8 (RHC) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that his country’s authorities are proposing Belarus as one of the nations guaranteeing Ukraine’s security.
The Foreign Minister stressed Moscow’s interest in Minsk continuing to play a role in organizing negotiations with Kyiv. He added that the list of possible countries guaranteeing Ukraine’s security is still being negotiated between the parties, according to RT TV channel.
The day before, Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko said at a meeting of his country’s Security Council that there could be no talks between Russia and Ukraine without the participation of his government.
The head of state said the decision was sent to the foreign minister this Thursday with instructions on how to apply it, BelTA news agency reported.
“When we are involved in this, especially Western countries, it is natural that Belarus’ position needs to be expressed in these talks,” he stressed.
According to Lukashenko, separate agreements cannot be made behind Minsk’s back. He was “absolutely convinced” that “Russia understands this position,” he said.
The latest round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place on March 29 in the Turkish city of Istanbul, where the Kiev mission presented written proposals that Moscow saw as the first concrete commitment to ending the bilateral conflict.
Consultations between the two countries began on February 28 in the Gomel region of Belarus and continued on March 3-7 in the Bialowieza Nature Reserve, also in that country.
On March 10, the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine Sergey Lavrov and Dmitry Kuleba met in the presence of their counterpart from that nation, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in the Turkish city of Antalya.
This Wednesday, Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out that negotiations between his country’s delegations and Ukraine are continuing, but are developing more slowly and more difficult than desired. (Source:PL)