Sikorsky hinted at warming relations with Belarus after the first meeting of foreign ministers in years
The first meeting of the foreign ministers of Poland and Belarus since 2010 took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Quick Look
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski held his first meeting since 2010 with his Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and hinted at a warming of relations between the countries.
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Why It Matters
Relations between Poland and Belarus have been deteriorating due to the migration crisis, EU sanctions and political differences.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski hinted at warming relations with Belarus.
Relations between the countries have only worsened in recent years. Key sources of disagreement are the migration situation at the border, security issues, EU sanctions policy and political disagreements surrounding the internal situation in Belarus.
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Sikorsky held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov. This was the first meeting of the foreign ministers of Poland and Belarus since 2010.
“It’s like a snowdrop that can bloom if the aura is favorable,” Sikorsky told reporters, answering a question about whether the meeting of the foreign ministers means the normalization of relations between Poland and Belarus.
At the same time, he admitted that some issues that Warsaw designated as fundamental had been resolved between the countries.
“Currently, we have a more normalized situation at the border than in the past... Andrzej Poczobut (a leader of the Union of Poles in Belarus - ed.) has also been released,” Sikorski said.
He informed that despite the fact that the countries do not have ambassadors in each other's capitals, Poland will soon open a new embassy building in Minsk.
Open Questions
- Will the meeting lead to a full restoration of diplomatic relations?
- Will new ambassadors be appointed?
