Lukashenko: The EU shies away from contacts on migrant crisis

Contact persons from the European Union who were supposed to cooperate with Belarus on the refugee crisis do not get in touch, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he received Grodno Oblast Governor Vladimir Karanik and President's Aide – Inspector for Grodno Oblast Yuri Karayev on 22 November, BelTA has learned.

“I am waiting for the EU's decision on 2,000 refugees. We have about 2,000 refugees in this camp. I asked them [the European Union and, in particular, Germany] to take them away. They said that Merkel [Germany's acting Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom Aleksandr Lukashenko had two telephone conversations] promised me to consider this problem at the EU level. Yet, it is not even being considered. The same pertains to contact persons (it was also her promise and a decision made by the EU). These contact persons do not even get in touch. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Makei calls them to invite them to come to grips with this problem. They answer that they are on a business trip, somewhere else and so on,” said the head of state.

“Therefore, we should not wait for anyone. Once they refused, they will not be allowed to come here. There is nothing for them to do here. Because it will end up the same way as with these international visitors. They will come to show off. We will handle these migrants on our own if Germany does not take them. What else is left for us to do? We have no choice. But we must demand that the Germans take them,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.