Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has confirmed the earlier reports about his intention to make visits to Austria and Latvia and called it ‘opening the window to Europe’, the presidential press service reports.
“Austria, Latvia and other countries will be the window after being surrounded by the wall built around us. And what is more, some imposed sanctions on us! So, at the present day, we have to open the windows and build the roads – not again, but at the new level,” Lukashenka said on October, 30.
“I just want to everyone to know: since the time of Peter the Great, it is up to President to drill a window to wherever we think it necessary,” he stressed.
According to Lukashenka, those whose task is sell or buy products and goods should follow him. He blasted the officials who fail to take advantage of the ‘windows that had already been open’.
“Therefore, I have to make visits once again to negotiate, I seem to be starting to sell in others’ stead. I will assess the situation; if doing-nothing continues, they will have to be pensioned off or something in that style,” the Belarusian leader warned.
A week ago, Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makey announced Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s official visit to Vienna scheduled for November, 12.
In February 2016, in the wake of the latest presidential elections in Belarus, the European Union decided to lift its sanctions against Alyaksandr Lukashenka and 169 Belarusian officials cancelling the visa ban and assets freeze. So, the Belarusian leader has been free to come to any European city.
In May 2016, he visited Italy and the Vatican where he met with Pope Francis. Since then, however, the politician does not seem to be in hurry to travel around Europe.
In September 2018, the Belarusian president was invited to Paris to take part in the events on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. However, Alyaksandr Lukashenka failed to show up at the celebrations; our country was represented by Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of the Council of the Republic of Belarus.
In March 2019, Polish president Andrzej Duda issued invitations to the ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War to leaders of EU, NATO and the EaP countries, including Alyaksandr Lukashenka. But the Belarusian leader is unlikely to accept it as Russia’s Vladimir Putin was not invited to the event.
In May, the European Union invited Lukashenka to dinner to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the EaP initiative, but it was decided that Makey would replace him. In 2017, the top Belarusian diplomat also visited the EaP Summit, where the Belarusian president had been invited.
In late July, Lukashenka told Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics that he was looking forward to seeing Riga.
