Belarus's need in EU's support increased - Polish Deputy Foreign Minister for Belsat TV
On Friday Uladzimir Makey, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomasz Orłowski. After the talks Mr Orłowski told Belsat TV that they had discussed bilateral relations and Belarus’s line towards the European Union.
“I can say that a shadow of the Ukrainian crisis keeps making impact on what is going on. It is clear that the changes we see in the Belarusian authorities’ approach are closely linked to the geopolitical situation in the region, and no one is trying to conceal it. We (representatives of Belarus and Poland) – agreed, and the message I sent on behalf of Poland was very clear – we see the Ukrainian situation’s direct influence on Belarus’s policy and we appreciate Belarus’s efforts for peace in the region. But developing relations with Belarus is not a hostage of the Ukrainian situation. These relations are valuable themselves,” he said.
According to the Polish diplomat, the relations between Belarus and the West should be regarded apart from the Ukrainian crisis. The talks also concerned Belarus’s domestic policy, because several aspects pose ‘a serious problem for Poland’, Mr Orłowski added.
“But I would say we just reminded of our stance, we did not expect they would say something brand new, which could drastically transform our hopes and expectations. I say again: we don’t think that the situation [in Belarus] has changed, we are not going to turn coat and abandon our policy. But we really appreciate certain positive changes.”
As the situation happened Russia’s actions in Ukraine should be balanced, Belarus’s need in EU’s support has apparently increased, Mr Orłowski pointed out.
At the same time, Poland is not going to leave Belarusian civil society activists out in the cold.
“At the very beginning of our long meeting with opposition leaders, activists, independent analysts I stressed that any form of political discussions or consultations with the Belarusian authorities would never affect the intensity of our dialogue with its civil society. Secondly, we do need your civil society’s expertise, knowledge and opinions in order to shape a better line towards the Belarusian authorities. We believe there is some kind of harmony and logic in such actions. Put simply, our deeds should do good to Belarus,” he said.
