Belarus is unable to exit the Russian sphere of influence due to its geographic location, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said on Thursday
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2020) Belarus is unable to exit the Russian sphere of influence due to its geographic location, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the Belarusian foreign minister had a conversation with his Swiss counterpart, Ignazio Cassis. Following the talks, Makei was asked by journalists if Minsk required Switzerland's assistance to leave Moscow's sphere of influence.
"Both Belarus and Switzerland cannot exit the sphere ... of interest of [their] large neighbors. Unfortunately, you cannot take Belarus and Switzerland and put them somewhere more comfortable. We remain where we are, but the most important thing is ... and the president [of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko], by the way, did point that out today, that for us, Switzerland is an example of economic development, an example of settling various conflicts in the international arena," Makei answered.
The foreign minister noted that despite the influence of large geopolitical entities on countries like Belarus and Switzerland, both countries have many overlapping interests constituting a foundation for further efficient cooperation.
"And today we discussed the issues of joining our forces in the international arena, as well as joining forces to settle the conflicts that, unfortunately, exist in our region, and the world as a whole, joining forces to fight together against the current challenges, threats, and dangers, which, unfortunately, we are seeing today," Makei added.
On his part, Cassis praised Minsk's important part in the Ukrainian peace process, as well as its role as the region's "bridge-builder."
In April 2014, the Ukrainian government launched an offensive against the self-proclaimed people's republics of Luhansk and Donetsk, which claimed independence after what they considered to be a coup in Ukraine two months earlier. Prospects for peace have been discussed in various forms, including during the meetings of the Contact Group in Minsk, which, since September 2014, has already adopted three documents regulating steps to de-escalate the conflict. Nevertheless, fighting in the region continues.
