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MOSCOW, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Belarus are ready to cooperate
with all 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 the development 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 taking part in an unauthorized rally in Belarus. Journalist Weronika Samolinska of the Gazeta Wyborcza daily was also jailed for 10 days. Enditem |