Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus

The Republic of Belarus cannot be indifferent to the events in Ukraine, including the referendum held on March 16, 2014 in the Crimea, and the decision on the Crimea’s accession to the Russian Federation adopted as a follow-on to the referendum.

Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are brotherly states intertwined by the common history that goes back centuries. Many a time have external forces tried to play and capitalize on contradictions among our states.

Particularly concerned are we now about attempts of the politicians, who in fact have nothing to do with the events in the region, to decide what is good and what is bad for our Slavic peoples. Given the reality, the Republic of Belarus is against one-sided, biased interpretation of the principles of international law to satisfy geopolitical interests, against attempts to declare some international situations and territories unique while ignoring others.

Theorizing on this subject today means aggravating the problem. Belarus will make every possible effort to have brotherly and good-neighbourly relations between Ukraine and Russia re-established, to help find the ways of resolving contradictions and preventing confrontation.

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