MINSK, 9 November (BelTA) – We are ready for a candid and open dialogue, a constructive approach to resolving the migrant crisis with mutual respect of national interests, the Presidium of the Council of the Republic said in its statement in connection with the situation at the border, BelTA learned from the press service of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament.
“We, members of the Presidium of the Council of the Republic, authorized representatives of the Belarusian people, appeal to the entire international community in connection with the situation at the Belarus-Poland border. A large group of migrants from the Middle East has gathered at the border hoping to get to the European Union through the territory of our country. Belarus is not to blame for this situation. Migrants put everything on the line and headed for the EU countries hoping for a better life they were promised by European governments. However, having reached the Polish border, they saw a barbed wire fence, an aggressive and humiliating attitude. This is a real humanitarian catastrophe that defies generally recognized principles of international law, or special conventions on the rights of refugees, or universal human values and norms of behavior. This does not only undermine good-neighborly relations with Belarus, but also creates risks of a possible split between Western and Eastern civilizations,” the statement reads.
The statement emphasizes that for several decades the ‘collective' West has been convincing the whole world of its moral superiority, flaunting achievements in the field of human rights and social communication. However, in the case of the migration issue, the European Union has failed to show that it practices what it preaches.
“For Belarusians, peace, security and harmonious human development have always been and will remain fundamental values. After all, the territory of our country has repeatedly become an arena of armed clashes unleashed not by us and not through our fault. Therefore, we are particularly sensitive to injustice, indifference to human suffering and violation of the laws of the world order. We are ready for a candid and open dialogue, a constructive resolution of the migrant crisis while respecting national interests. We call on MEPs, national governments of the EU countries, international organizations and all those who have not yet lost their sense of humanity to objectively assess the current situation and not stand aside when it comes to the life and well-being of people. Together we must communicate the truth, defend human values and goodwill relations between countries and peoples. People of the 21st century deserve to live in peace and concord,” the statement reads.
