Poland wants not to negotiate with Belarusian president Alyaksandr Lukashenka, but to build ‘normal European relations’ with him, foreign minister Witold Waszchykowski said in an interview with Radio Poland.
“We want to resume our dialogue, among other things, to take care of the Polish minority living in Belarus. Without reviving the dialogue with the Belarusian authorities, one cannot look after [the interests of] the Polish minority,” the minister said.
Witold Waszczykowski expressed hope that Warsaw’s attempt to resume contacts with Minsk would be successful.
“We want not to negotiate with Lukashenka, but to build normal European relations based on European standards, in order to restore relations with Belarus and persuade the country’s authorities to behave in a European way toward its citizens, including the Polish minority,” the Polish foreign minister stressed.
As previously reported, Konrad Szymanski, the country’s deputy foreign minister, said that Poland supports the EU policy of openness towards Belarus, including restricting sanctions against Minsk.
On October 29, the European Union suspended sanctions against 171 Belarusian individuals and 10 economic entities for four months. At the moment, only four people from the European black list are not able to enter the EU. According to the bloc’s press service, the lifting of sanctions is a ‘response to progress in Belarus and is aimed at encouraging new changes’.
Read also: Probable reason for sanctions suspension is Lukashenka’s stance on Ukraine – UN Rapporteur on Belarus
At the same time, the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council extented its restrictive measures, due to expire on October 31, until February 29, 2016.
Thus, the European Union is to decide by February 29 whether to re-impose its restrictive measures against Belarusian authorities, prolong their suspension or abolish them altogether.
Read also: Sanctions lifted! Sell goods, make money – Lukashenka
Belsat.eu, following radiopolsha.pl
