Presidents of the Customs Union member countries are ready to meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Minsk, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Aug.14 while visiting the Berezovskaya GRES power plant.
“Everyone is ready to come to Minsk,” the Belarusian state media quoted Lukashenko as saying.
“It has even been suggested that a third party, say, the European
Union or the United States, if they are interested in normalization –
economic, military and political, could sit down in Minsk and talk. We
are not rejecting anyone. This is the common position of the three
presidents of the Eurasian Economic Union,” the Belarusian leader
stressed.
“We are waiting. If Ukraine wants to discuss these issues, it is welcomed,” Lukashenko said.
The president said it would be expedient to discuss Ukraine’s signing
of an association agreement with the European Union. “We are extremely
concerned and we fear that EU goods with a zero customs duty rate may
reach Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan and smother our economies. These
are natural concerns of any state,” he said.
It is also necessary to discuss Russia’s embargo on imports of certain commodities, the Belarusian president continued.
“I have told my colleagues that we will offer Petro Poroshenko the
opportunity to join the discussion of these and other problems in
Ukraine if he wishes. We can discuss these problems, they cannot be
avoided anyway,” Lukashenko said.
“They are of paramount importance for Ukraine because Russia is
shutting down the delivery of certain commodities from Ukraine little by
little. Alcohol has been suggested lately, and earlier they spoke about
milk and meat products,” he added.
“If it [Ukraine] decides to discuss the problems, we will meet and
have this discussion, and if it does not, well, it’s their right,” the
Belarusian leader said.
“Let me stress once again: we [the Customs Union presidents] are
ready to receive and involve in the discussion of these problems both
the Europeans, the Americans and the Africans, anyone who can help us
make some progress,” Lukashenko underscored.
