MINSK, 3 February (BelTA) – Belarus and Lithuania maintain good neighborly relations despite some political differences, Belarus Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said as he met with representatives of the Lithuanian diaspora at the Lithuanian Center for Culture, Education and Information in the Rymdyuny agrotown, Ostrovets District, BelTA has learned.
“The visit of Lithuania's minister of foreign affairs and our meeting are a testimony to the countries' determination to leave peacefully. We have political disagreements every now and then, but I am convinced that we all are interested in living in peace,” Vladimir Makei said.
The minister believes that it is rather symbolic that the visit of his Lithuanian counterpart started from Rymdyuny. After all, this agrotown and the neighboring settlement of Gervyaty are home to about 1,000 ethnic Lithuanians. “All in all, the Lithuanian diaspora in Belarus exceeds 5,000 people,” he noted. Grodno Oblast has many cultural and architectural monuments dating back to the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
“Belarus' state policy seeks to maintain peace, calm and stability in our society and to prevent any inter-faith and inter-ethnic conflicts. The things we see here are a testimony to a peaceful coexistence of different nationalities. Lithuanians, Belarusians and other people live in this beautiful nook of Belarus without any issues,” the minister said.