Belarus 'ready' for dialogue about migration crisis

MOSCOW

Belarus is ready for a dialogue with the EU over the migration crisis, the country's Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said on Wednesday.

Minsk receives "certain signals" from Brussels and other European capitals about possible contacts but on the condition of confidentiality, Makei said at a news conference in Moscow, following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

"We receive certain signals from Brussels, from the capitals of other European states that we need to get out of the situation, but we don't know how, so let's talk confidentially, somewhere in basements, in forests. We have always stated that we are ready for dialogue, and we are ready to resolve any, even the most sensitive issues through dialogue. The problem is not with us. If they are not ready to take such a step, then I am convinced that sooner or later the situation itself will force all parties to move towards that and understand that it is necessary to find solutions to the situation that has developed around Belarus now," he said.

Asked if Minsk wants Russia to serve as a mediator, Makei said "the Belarusian leadership never welcomes the idea of mediation, we believe that we should always find the strength to talk, even in difficult situations."

Turning to an initiative by Austria's Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg about holding an international conference "on the Belarusian issue" in Vienna, Makei said Minsk will not send any officials to represent the country.

"The conference, as conceived by the organizers, is organized on the initiative of the Austrian leadership, is an absolutely fruitless and senseless undertaking. Moreover, we consider it as an absolutely unfriendly step towards Belarus. None of the officials from Belarus will take part in it. Let them hold this event for show, discussing -- for the umpteenth time -- the prospects of changing the government in Belarus, without having the slightest strength or ability with well-known fugitive opponents of the government," he said.

For his part, Russia's Sergey Lavrov said Schallenberg was guided by the best intentions but it is not the right way to launch a dialogue because the attitude to Belarus is "too arrogant."

"In this initiative, a sense of self-superiority has emerged, which has spread to all members of the Western community, be it the European Union, NATO, or some other sub-regional blocs. The European Union should respect the opinion of all members of the world community, as required by the UN Charter, and not interfere in anyone's internal affairs," he said.

- Moscow asks UN to explain how they used Russia's voluntary donation for human rights

Russia is waiting for a clear and unambiguous reaction from the UN Secretary-General's Office on spending Russia's voluntary donation for the human rights projects to pay the lawyers who defend individuals charged with participation in authorized demonstrations in Belarus in 2020, Lavrov noted.

"This story worries us, it is outrageous. I hope that in the future, the secretary-general will read the papers that are given to him for signature. We are talking about the situation that has developed through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which carries out human rights projects in various countries, including in the Republic of Belarus, funded by a voluntary donation from the Russian Federation.

"In the course of communication with UN representatives, it turned out that the funds that were supposed to be spent on holding conferences and seminars on human rights issues were transferred by this department to lawyers who defended persons who participated in illegal demonstrations and protests," Lavrov said.

Such disposal of the money directly contradicts the goals for which Russia allocated them, Lavrov stressed.

He said Moscow demanded explanations from the representatives of the OHCHR, made a demarche in the office of the secretary-general and his assistant for human rights.

Lavrov added he has an impression the OHCHR representatives are trying to hush up the case but Moscow is firm in its intention to sort out the issue.

"In the coming days, we expect a clear step on the part of the secretary-general in terms of reaction to this outrage," he said.