President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko promised not to allow the republic to be drawn into the sphere of influence of other states, calling it a “donor of stability” in Europe. His words are reported by TASS.
The head of state emphasized that now a struggle has unfolded in the world for the opportunity to influence Belarus. Despite this, it will continue to maintain a “balanced and varied relationship” with the outside world. “The path of confrontation in foreign policy is a dead end,” Lukashenko said.
He added that Minsk will continue to participate in strategic peacekeeping initiatives and provide interested countries with platforms for negotiations on its territory. “Europe remains our common home: you can’t get away from this, we are the center of Europe,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
Earlier, Lukashenko said that he wants to preserve the sovereignty of Belarus while integrating with Russia within the framework of the Union State. He opposed the formation of new supranational bodies and proposed to consider the association exclusively within the framework of intersectoral cooperation.
Throughout 2019 and the first half of 2020, before the presidential elections, which triggered the start of mass protests in Belarus, Lukashenko has repeatedly stated the need to pursue a multi-vector policy and build an independent country. He regularly complained about Russia’s “imperial manners” and criticized the integration project within the framework of the Union State.