Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg in Minsk on 21 June, the press service of the Belarusian leader told BelTA.
The meeting took place at the Palace of Independence with the participation of both Belarusian and U.S. delegations.
The agenda included international matters, the situation in the region and in the world and Belarus-U.S. relations.
“Your visit has created quite a stir around the world. But I am surprised: why is that so? Can’t we have a normal dialogue and talk about our affairs, about relations between Belarus and the United States?” the head of state remarked.
“I am very happy to meet you, General. I sincerely hope our conversation will be honest and open. Otherwise, what is the point of meeting? If we try to outsmart or deceive each other, we won’t achieve anything,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.
In turn, Keith Kellogg thanked the Belarusian side for the hospitality and the opportunity to meet. "We live in very perilous times, and the constant concern that we have is a crisis that can escalate and grow if we are not only cautious but wise.,” he said.
In response, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized: “General, I assure you that you will be completely safe on the territory of Belarus, and during this time, there will be no escalation, not only in Belarus, but also around us.”
The topics discussed during the negotiations between Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg were highly relevant: they addressed issues that concern the entire world, Press Secretary of the Belarusian president Natalya Eismont said on the air of the Belarus 1 TV channel.
"They spoke for six and a half hours: first in the president’s office, then over dinner. The meeting concluded late at night. The atmosphere and tone of the conversation are clearly visible in the footage that was published earlier today. The range of topics was extremely relevant. They discussed what the whole world is concerned about right now," the press secretary said.
According to her, they discussed the current situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, Belarus’ relations with Russia and China, the sanctions policies of the U.S. and EU toward Belarus, Russia, and other countries, changes in the global political landscape, as well as people and the history of wars.
“As for the specific details, and nuances of the conversation, they are, of course, known only to those who were present at the talks,” Natalya Eismont added.
