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23 May 2018, 16:23

Belarus' genuine interest in peaceful resolution of conflicts emphasized

MINSK, 23 May (BelTA) – Belarus is genuinely interested in the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei made the statement during the international forum Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All in Minsk on 23 May, BelTA has learned.

Vladimir Makei said: “People in Belarus are genuinely interested in a dialogue, in a peaceful resolution of conflicts. This approach, this view of the world is a result of the suffering we've had to endure in the course of our entire history, a result of innumerable losses due to all kinds of wars, which steamrolled our country for centuries.”

In his opinion, World War Two events represent one of the strongest or maybe even the strongest factor that determines the genetic memory of the Belarusian nation and possibly even the national identity.

“70 years after World War Two ended we couldn't imagine even in nightmarish dreams that somewhere close, in a country we border with large-scale combat operations will be staged once again and civilians will be killed once again,” noted the official.

Belarus had no doubts about what needed to be done in that situation, said Vladimir Makei. “In the end our stance determined the choice of Minsk as the most acceptable and suitable venue for negotiations on resolving the conflict in Ukraine. The Minsk agreements still remain the only real foundation for settling the conflict,” he stated.

Vladimir Makei admitted that these agreements are not ideal and are not always followed, but they had allowed stopping the large-scale bloodshed in the past.

“The smoldering and frozen conflicts we are going to talk about among other things during this conference represent a reference point, which allows more tangibly focus on common security problems. The extensive agenda of the forum is a vivid testimony of the fact that today a huge number of various interests, challenges, and unresolved problems are directly or indirectly reflected in our region,” said the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs.

Due to their intensity it is necessary to start looking for mutually acceptable solutions. “If nothing is done, if one keeps repeating that it is impossible to resolve the problem, then one can only force the situation into a dead end. The availability of an acceptable venue for all parties, including the conflict sides, a venue for dialogue-based non-stop negotiations on the problems can become an important factor to facilitate their resolution,” believes Vladimir Makei.

The international forum Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All is scheduled to take place in Minsk on 23-25 May. It has been organized by the expert initiative Minsk Dialogue.

The forum is expected to launch an open and large-scale dialogue between leading experts from Eastern Europe, the European Union, Russia, the USA, and China on an annual basis. Minsk will provide a brand new platform for discussions about the present and the future of regional and international security.

Taking part in this forum are 350 experts and officials from more than 40 countries. The speakers include OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy James Appathurai, former CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha, Director General of the Permanent International Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States Maira Mora, and former Chairperson of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Christine Muttonen.

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