Europe should resume dialogue with Belarus, Russia in its own interests — diplomat

BRUSSELS, April 6. /TASS/. A large-scale economic crisis that will drag on for decades is not worth experimenting with a new "European path" for Minsk, charge d’affaires ad interim of Belarus in Brussels Sergey Panasyuk told TASS. "It would be interesting to listen to the European Parliament discussing what is best for the people of Belarus, to hear arguments about mutually beneficial cooperation, providing Belarusians with jobs, food, affordable medical care and normal energy prices. But the discussion often turns out to be more about ephemeral freedoms, hypothetical values and European rules," the diplomat noted while commenting on the meetings with representatives of the Belarusian radical opposition in European institutions, which have become more frequent. "From the perspective of the interests of both Belarusians and the Europeans themselves, something is amiss here." According to him, real interests of the Europeans require a renewed normal dialogue both with Minsk and Moscow, rather than new attempts to draw Belarus into the sphere of influence of the EU. "With regard to Belarus, the EU should be interested in discussing issues of common and indivisible security, joint guarding of borders, combating smuggling and organized crime, migration management, logistics and freedom of movement, supply of in-demand products of wood processing, food products and machinery, as well as humanitarian cooperation. And now, as it turns out, the experience of operating the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant may also be in demand," the Belarusian diplomat noted.