MINSK, 27 September (BelTA) – In an interview to the United Nations Radio Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei expressed surprise at the unwillingness of European leaders to arrive at a common view regarding refugee matters, BelTA has learned.
“I believe it is the number one problem, especially for the European continent. What surprises me is the unwillingness and inability of the leading European leaders, heads of the leading states to find a solution to the issue, find common ground on the matter. Even in the European Union we can see different points of view on the problem,” said Vladimir Makei.
According to the minister, the reasons behind this large-scale migration are self-explanatory: armed conflicts cause refugee flows. “This means we need to root out the reasons that lead to this kind of problem. We need to do our best to prevent armed conflicts. And we should say openly that the responsibility is on the states that unleash these conflicts. But again, however, every state has its understanding of the situation and each one insists on its rightness. We need a sincere attitude to the matter from the world's leading powers,” the diplomat is confident.
Vladimir Makei said that over 160,000 forced migrants came to Belarus from Ukraine. The state took timely necessary decisions so that people would not feel underprivileged. “We need to maintain a balance in the matters we discussed during high-level meetings here. I met with representatives of many European countries, and during our informal talks they said that refugees do not always follow the laws of the country they arrive in, they do not always behave appropriately. Therefore, we need to keep the corresponding balance. This means the readiness of the society to accept these refugees and the readiness of refugees to integrate with the society of any given country. It is very important,” the minister said.
Vladimir Makei believes that special attention should be paid to people with disabilities, women and children. They deserve special care and assistance. What is also important here and what was also discussed at the meetings is that we need to encourage the right attitude toward refugees from the society. The state, as we understand it, provides legal framework for refugees' integration with the society. Private business should also think of how it can help the refugees: create new jobs, provide opportunities to find accommodation and so on. This problem is global, but we, in Belarus, have it settled for now. We hope that there will be no huge refugee flows in the future. Taking into account the current situation in Europe, we believe that the European countries need to take quick, clear and concrete decisions. Otherwise, very soon Europeans will face the problem of preserving their identity,” Vladimir Makei said.
