US envoy Coale urges Minsk and Vilnius to start political talks

March 27, Pozirk. John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus, has called for political-level talks between Vilnius and Minsk in his interview with LRT.
“President [Donald] Trump and I do not believe in preconditions,” he said. “I hope that Lithuania agrees to a bilateral dialogue at the level of deputy foreign ministers. We need to stop those things that hinder life on both sides.”
Coale stressed that both countries’ diplomats should start resolving existing issues and enable trade with the European Union and the US, including exports of Belarusian potash fertilizers.
Washington is interested in allowing Belarusian fertilizers enter its market, Coale stressed, citing his discussions with US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who allegedly described Belarusian fertilizers as very useful for the US.
The diplomat also noted that efforts to stop incursions by cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus into Lithuania have largely succeeded, with only isolated incidents reported in recent months.
Coale added that a potential visit by Alaksandar Łukašenka to the US remains under consideration, though no final decision has been made.
Earlier this month, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda rejected the idea of engagement with Minsk during a meeting with Coale, warning that Belarus is seeking to drive a wedge among NATO allies, in particular between the US and the EU.
Vilnius views political negotiations with Minsk as an attempt to break the international isolation of Łukašenka’s regime and potentially pave the way for easing sanctions.
Coale met Łukašenka on March 19 in Minsk, where he negotiated the release of 250 jailed Belarusian regime critics. Following the talks, the Belarusian ruler’s press office reported that the US lifted sanctions on Biełinvestbank and the Development Bank of Belarus, the finance ministry, Biełaruskalij and Belarusian Potash Company.
Yesterday, the US Department of the Treasury removed Belarusian Potash Company, potash giant Biełaruskalij (Belaruskali) and its Kyiv-based subsidiary Agrorozkvit from its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List.
USA lifts more sanctions against Belarus following release of political prisoners
Washington to lift 80 percent of sanctions if Minsk frees all dissidents – Coale
- EconomyEU-blacklisted businessman says he wants no gifts from stateThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsHuman rights groups name 12 new political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB labels nine people as “terrorists”The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Politics, Security
- Economy
- EconomyOmani envoy presents credentials to Belarusian foreign ministerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsRights groups designate 13 people as former political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- EconomyRetail trade up 8.7 percent in January-SeptemberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityNo attempts at irregular entry from Belarus into Poland since mid-SeptemberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus’ economy grows by 2 percent in nine monthsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarus’ ideology workers define civil union as national security threatThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarusian envoy discusses cargo shipping with senior Turkish trade officialThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsNew reports of politically motivated persecution in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsVilnius Freedom Summit’s delegates urge Belarus to release all political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityLatvia records seven-week low in attempts at irregular entry from BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityCichanoŭskaja calls on Europe to unite against dictatorshipsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society

