MINSK, 3 December (BelTA) – Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei was on a visit to Sweden on 1-3 December to take part in the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Speaking at the plenary session, Vladimir Makei pointed to the escalation of confrontation and new dividing lines in the OSCE space. The foreign minister emphasized the inadmissibility of external interference, sanctions and the use of double standards in assessing the situation in Belarus, including in the context of the migrant situation on the western border of the country. He urged to resume a constructive dialogue and take action to ease tension and restore mutual trust.
On the sidelines of the Ministerial Council meeting, foreign ministers of the OSCE participating states took part in separate sessions to exchange views on how to increase the effectiveness of the organization, as well as to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
Vladimir Makei took part in a working meeting of the foreign ministers of the CSTO member states to discuss coordination of actions on the OSCE platform, as well as joint efforts to respond to security challenges and to counter attempts by individual countries to interfere in the domestic affairs of sovereign states, as well as their attempts to put pressure and impose an unacceptable agenda.
The Belarusian minister held a series of meetings with the OSCE senior officials. Vladimir Makei met with OSCE/ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci and informed him about the current situation in Belarus. The parties discussed the approaches to the solution of the migrant crisis and their compliance with international law and OSCE commitments. The head of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the inadmissibility of pressure and the use of double standards in assessing the situation in Belarus and in other OSCE participating states.
During a meeting with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro, the Belarusian minister reaffirmed the country's openness to building a mutually respectful and unbiased dialogue. Vladimir Makei stressed the importance of a balanced response by Teresa Ribeiro's office to media violations in different countries.
Vladimir Makei also met with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov. The Belarusian minister highlighted the traditionally stable and peaceful situation in Belarus in terms of interethnic relations, and slammed the attempts by individual countries to politicize this topic.
The minister also met with the foreign ministers of a number of OSCE states.
Vladimir Makei and Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed issues of regional security in the OSCE area and also bilateral interaction. The parties confirmed their readiness to develop comprehensive cooperation, including mutual support in the international arena.
During the meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto the parties focused on the prospects of bilateral cooperation, migration, and the parties' approaches to address urgent issues of the regional and international agenda.
The meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Pekka Haavisto was used to communicate Belarus' position on the problematic issues of interaction with the EU and to find mutually acceptable solutions in order to prevent further growth of tensions and mutual alienation.
During the talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, the parties emphasized their aim at further dynamic implementation of projects in every area of cooperation, and reaffirmed mutual support at international platforms in the spirit of strategic partnership.
