GRODNO, 25 November (BelTA) – Not a single transfer of money has been received from the EU to help the refugees, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Glaz told reporters.
Anatoly Glaz noted that the statement of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on 23 November aroused a lot of questions. “He said that he would send a EU technical team to work together with the Belarusian authorities on the issue. By the time of the statement, the team had already been working in Belarus. This is a vivid example of how much they know about the situation on the ground and how seriously they are dealing with this issue. By and large, the European Commission has done nothing except for making statements of intent. It is indicative that the technical team did not communicate with the refugees during their visit to the logistics center,” he said.
Canceled flights from Iraq were also discussed. According to Anatoly Glaz, there are no obstructions to the repatriation of refugees who want to return home. On the contrary, assistance is provided, including with paperwork.
“I saw in the news that the flight was canceled due to problems with payments on the part of our European partners. So far we have not received any payments from them in any of the agreed areas. So far, only declarations of intent,” Anatoly Glaz said.
Belarus has been collaborating with the UN organizations since the very first days. Yet, according to Anatoly Glaz, so far mostly secretariats visit the border area but they cannot make managerial decisions and are limited in their capabilities. “We would like to see greater participation and involvement,” Anatoly Glaz emphasized.
The spokesman noted that all reporters who want to cover the situation at the border are welcome in Belarus. “More than 200 applications to work at the border have been received from media outlets. Four Kurdish journalists have also been accredited. Belarus offers unobstructed access to the border for mass media,” he added.
