MINSK, 8 February (BelTA) – Russia and the West have more unifying interests and goals that are much more important than the current political disagreements, Belarus' Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said in an interview to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, BelTA has learned.
“Confrontation complicates life for third countries as well. As Belarus continues to develop relations both with Russia and the West under the present-day conditions, it often hears the question: “So whom are you with - them or us?”. Doing this, they push us to the need of making a false and totally unacceptable choice. There is nothing surprising that we want to be partners to our eastern and western neighbors alike,” the minister said.
According to him, on the contrary, this looks like rather strange that the EU and the United States, on one side, and Russia, on the other side, being natural partners in the global arena, do not find mutual understanding. “It is obvious that Russia and the West have much more unifying interests and tasks that are more important than the current political discords,” the minister said.
“The only reasonable way to resolve disputes is to set aside emotions and mutual accusations and sit down at the negotiating table. It is necessary to work out solutions that would guarantee long-term stability and cooperation, exclude rivalry and the "spheres of influence" thinking. I am confident that the right and fair approach would benefit all the stakeholders,” Vladimir Makei stressed.
He also emphasized Belarus' consistent and unchanged position on the inadmissibility of sanctions in international relations. “We do not accept any unilateral restrictive measures, regardless of their subjects and objects. We have long been under sanctions ourselves and are convinced that they never achieve their goals. They only chain both sides, toughen their approaches, deepen the crisis of confidence and do not allow a way out of the dead end,” the minister said.
