Belarus' ambassador: Dialogue with the EU will resume

Dialogue between the European Union and Russia, as well as Belarus, will be resumed, though it will begin from small steps, Ambassador of Belarus to Finland Aleksei Samosuyev said in an interview with the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti (Evening Newspaper), BelTA has learned.

Answering the journalist's questions, the diplomat commented on Belarus' relations with the European Union countries and explained the close interaction with Russia, which is an ally and the most important partner for our country. Regarding the Ukraine conflict and possible ways to resolve it, the diplomat emphasized that Belarus pursues a peaceful policy, has always called for a peaceful settlement and has contributed in every possible way to the peace process. “Nobody wants war, everyone wants peace, it's the same in Belarus. Everyone wants the war to end,” said Aleksei Samosuyev. “I don't know how to bring back peace. But what is clear is that the parties should sit down at the negotiating table. Russia is ready for this, but Ukraine is not, nor are the EU and the USA. However, at some point, dialogue between the EU and Russia, as well as Belarus, will resume, though the parties will begin from small steps,” the ambassador said.

The diplomat noted that the EU countries depend a lot on US instructions and they lack independence in making many key decisions. “The EU does not want to listen to the other side [of the conflict, except Ukraine]. Russia and Belarus would be ready to engage with the EU, but the EU does not listen to them and clings to its already lost status of a superpower,” the ambassador believes.

He is confident that one way or another the economic situation (which is worsening) will push the EU countries to resume cooperation with Russia and Belarus. “This is primarily about economy, and it all depends on how long the residents of the EU countries are ready to tolerate the economic downturn,” the diplomat explained. “Two years ago, the EU believed that the economy of Russia, as well as that of Belarus, would collapse because of sanctions, but everything turned out quite the opposite. The EU economy is stagnating, but Russia and Belarus quickly managed to tap into the markets of China and other Asian countries, as well as some African nations. In the last couple of years, Belarus has been pursuing a very active foreign and trade policy,” the ambassador remarked.