Belarus plans to host an international conference on “countering illegal migration” in November 2024, with participation from ministers of some European Union countries, according to Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has been a key ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine, allowing Russian forces to use Belarus as a staging ground for the invasion in February 2022. Lukashenko’s regime provided logistical support to Russian military operations and permitted missile launches from Belarusian territory, though Belarusian troops have not directly engaged in combat in Ukraine.
As a result of Belarus’ complicity in the war, the European Union has imposed sanctions on the Lukashenko regime and significantly reduced cooperation with Belarus, viewing it as a co-aggressor alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine.
According to Belarusian news outlet BELTA, some ministers from European Union countries have already confirmed their participation among the potential conference participants.
The conference aims to address Belarus’s measures to combat illegal migration. Ryzhenkov said that Belarus intends to invite “representatives of Belarus’ neighbors” and other EU and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) members.
Lukashenko has been “directly threatening the EU with migrant blackmail” since 2021, providing context to the planned conference.
Ryzhenkov emphasized Belarus’ interest in “peace, security and stability” on the European continent.
The foreign minister also said, “We proceed from the fact that if today the great powers cannot agree, this does not mean that small and medium-sized states, such as us, should sit and wait patiently.”
Among EU foreign ministers, only Hungary’s Péter Szijjártó visited Belarus in recent years.
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