BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

05/04/2006

Belarussian president pledges to cooperate with world

MOSCOW, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Belarus are ready to cooperate withall countries in the world, Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said when talking to his ambassador to Poland on Tuesday.

"Belarus is a country open to the world and interested in the interaction," Lukashenko was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying, at a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov and Ambassador to Poland Pavel Latushko, who was recalled on Friday for consultations.

The recent presidential elections in Belarus did not change main direction and principles of the Belarussian foreign policy, Lukashenko said.

The talk also had a focus on developing relations between Belarus and Poland, primarily trade and economic cooperation that had tripled over the past three years.

"Pragmatism and neighborliness should be the main factor in thedevelopment of relations with Poland," Latushko said.

"Belarus thinks that Polish partners realize the futility of influence on the internal political situation. One should bear in mind that the Belarussian people makes independent decisions aboutits future, and the choice has been made," he said.

Latushko will go back to Warsaw when the consultations are completed.

Belarus recalled the ambassador amid strained relations following criticism by Polish officials over the Belarussian presidential election and the detention of Polish citizens during opposition protests in Minsk.

Poland has decided to impose visa restrictions and likely travel bans against Belarussian citizens deemed responsible for the alleged rigging of Belarus' presidential election, according to the Polish Press Agency.

Poland's former ambassador to Belarus Mariusz Maszkiewicz was sentenced on Monday by a Minsk court to 15 days in jail for takingpart in an unauthorized rally in Belarus. Journalist Weronika Samolinska of the Gazeta Wyborcza daily was also jailed for 10 days

Source:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/05/content_4384653.htm