Belarus Foreign Minister: Europe understood that Belarus is “a donor of stability and security”

Uladzimir Makei commented upon the EU decision to suspend sanctions against Belarus for four months.

Belarus and the EU are looking for a balance of mutual interests in a new geopolitical situation.

On the air of the national television Uladzimir Makei said that Minsk was interested in the swift lifting of the sanctions, which, in his words, was in the interests of the European Union as well. "Even before the presidential elections in Belarus and after them our European partners spoke in favour of suspending and abandoning the sanctions," he said, adding that "finally, Europe is beginning to understand that Belarus is not a troublemaker in the region, on the contrary, it is a donor of stability and security."

In his words, Europe is beginning to see that Belarus creates no problems for its neighbours, but stands for tranquility on the continent and always has its own opinion and acts exclusively in its national interests. "The history of our relations with the European Union proves that sanctions are a futile thing that has never been crowned with any success," TASS reports his words.

Makei said the Belarusian side would look at concrete actions taken by the European Union but the very fact that there were statements about possible cancellation of the sanctions was considered in Minsk in positive terms. The European Union however "is a huge bureaucratic machine," he said, adding that it needed certain time to discuss and agree decisions with all of its member states.