Poland's Deputy FM visits Belarus – one more try to reset relations?


On Friday Uladzimir Makey, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomasz Orłowski. The fact that Mr Makey was personally hosting the meeting speaks for Minsk’s vested interest in the talks.

Listening to both sides

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has not gone into detail: its press office has limited itself to the report saying that during the meeting the sides ‘discussed the issues of Belarus-Poland bilateral relations’, ‘Belarus-EU interaction’ and ‘other issues of mutual interest’.   

In the course of his visit to Minsk Mr Orłowski met with the representatives of the Belarusian opposition (Stanislau Shushkevich, Anatol Liabedzka, Uladzimir Niakliayeu, Paval Seviarynets, Yury Hubarevich), but the conversation took place behind closed doors. Political analysts Aliaksandr Klaskouski, Valer Karbalevich, Dzianis Melyantsou were also present at the meeting.

The participants were actively discussing the Ukrainian issue and its impact on the political situation in Europe.

All that is important to Poland in its relations with Belarus was being discussed, i.e. the issue of the political prisoners, the 2015 presidential elections, the unity of opposition. We also talked about the independent media that broadcast to Belarus from the territory of Poland – television channel Belsat and Radio Racyja. The issues of visas and local border traffic were raised,” Paval Seviarynets, an ex-political prisoner and a leader of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, told Belsat.

“The meeting doesn’t seem to have become a milestone event,” Mr Seviarynets stressed. As the situation in Belarus has not changed fundamentally – there are political prisoners in the country and civil rights are abridged – no EU’s policy shift towards Belarus is expected. But taking into account the recent developments in Ukraine, Belarus is actually becoming a venue of negotiations.  

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Belarus-Poland: Should we expect a reboot of relations?  

Tomasz Orłowski’s visit to the Belarusian capital is unconventional, political analyst Aliaksandr Klaskouski says. Firstly, Mr Orłowski represents a newly-formed Foreign Ministry. It is to be recalled that after an unsuccessful attempt to deal with Aliaksandr Lukashenka in 2010 Radosław Sikorski, a former Foreign Minister, turned into a harsh critic of him. According to Mr Klaskouski, the Polish side might have offered the Belarusian authorities to turn over a new leaf.

Secondly, the visit is taking place after Europe has opted for a softer line towards Belarus amidst the Ukrainian crisis.

They believe it is not the right time now to put more pressure on Lukashenka, the analyst stresses. As he managed to distance himself from Moscow in some way, remain relatively neutral over the Ukrainian issue, provide a venue for negotiations, he may be considered a person-to-deal-with because their primary goal is to stop Russia and cut the Ukrainian knot.  Yes, the problems of political problems and blacklists remain, but the cooperation between Poland and belarus is impoving, Mr Klaskouski says.

Visa centres

The sides agreed on establishing visa centres in Belarus, the Polish Press Agency reports.

“We received the Belarusian authorities’ formal consent to the opening of visa centres granted by Deputy Foreign Minister Alena Kupchyna. Where, when and how will we open the centres? Now it depends on Poland,” Mr Orłowski said.

www.belsat.eu/en

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