Lukashenka unhappy with CIS 'disintegration' and settling Ukrainian issues in EU countries


The CIS should pay closer attention to security issues, Belarus President Aliaksandr Lukashenka said opening the CIS Heads of State Council meeting in Minsk on October, 10. 

“I will be frank to say that this viewpoint is shared by many. We should pay more attention to these issues inside the CIS. What can be worse of a war on the territory of one of our partners, a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States,” the Belarusian leader noted.

“I am confident that this stand is supported by almost everyone. It is inadmissible when vital issues regarding a country such as Ukraine are addressed somewhere else, in Berlin or Milan. The question arises: why we should be addressed in terms of economic, political or diplomatic issues? Perhaps they should be addressed there – in Berlin or Milan,” Lukashenka stressed.

According to him, Minsk has become a negotiating platform for the conflicting parties. “We were able to make progress in this matter,” he said.

The Belarusian President also expressed concern over the growing disintegration trends within the CIS. “Unfortunately, we have often heard the claims that the CIS has no future as an integration association. Belarus has repeatedly expressed its point of view on the importance of the CIS for all of us,” he said.

“The disintegration processes are, unfortunately, gaining ground in the CIS, and this is the reason of concern. Especially in view of the attempts of individual ill-wishers to bury the CIS as a useless rudiment. Belarus is not a supporter of such pessimistic approach. We have always been in favor of the development of cooperation,” Lukashenka underlined.

It is noteworthy that Ukraine’s Poroshenko is not present at the meeting. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus represented Ukraine’s interests at the summit.

www.belsat.eu/en, following BelTA

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