{"id":181322,"date":"2026-03-27T20:04:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T17:04:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/181322\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T20:04:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T17:04:51","slug":"dialogue-with-minsk-possible-only-if-belarus-shows-goodwill-lithuanian-president-says","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/181322\/","title":{"rendered":"Dialogue with Minsk possible only if Belarus shows goodwill, Lithuanian president says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 27, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus\u0117da said Vilnius will not engage with Minsk unless it shows consistent \u201cneighborly goodwill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was commenting on a statement by John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus, encouraging Vilnius to begin political-level talks with Minsk. The two neighbors are at odds over Lithuanian trucks held by Belarus, cigarette smuggling disrupting operations at Lithuanian airports, irregular migration, sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilizers, human rights, Vilnius\u2019s support for the Belarusian opposition, Belarus\u2019 nuclear power plant and Minsk\u2019s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst of all I would like to point out \u2013 and I have already told the Commissioner [envoy] about this \u2013 that the issue of fertilizers is resolved at the level of the European Union,\u201d Naus\u0117da was quoted as saying by LRT<\/em>. \u201cThe sanctions have only recently been prolonged by another 12 months, although they were imposed much earlier and are linked to human rights abuses and the unlawful 2020 presidential election rather than the current hybrid attacks. And, without doubt, [they are linked] to the real de-facto participation of Belarus in Russia\u2019s aggressive war against Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naus\u0117da described the behavior of Belarusian authorities toward its Western neighbors as \u201cpush and pull.\u201d \u201cSomewhere they demonstrate alleged goodwill, although it is difficult to call it goodwill when, for example, Lithuanian trucks, which were illegally stopped and detained, are being returned. It\u2019s like being grateful for the return of illegally seized goods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naus\u0117da cited recent incursions by air balloons from Belarus to refute suggestions by John Coale that the \u201cproblem of balloons has been largely solved.\u201d \u201cUnfortunately, it has not been solved, and this is being shown in such a demonstrative fashion immediately after the special envoy\u2019s departure from Belarus,\u201d he said. \u201cAll this indicates that at present we see absolutely no goodwill on the part of Belarus. And I would say that opportunities for a dialogue arise when the other side is demonstrating goodwill to foster good neighborly relations as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Naus\u0117da, \u201ca dialogue at a certain level\u201d with Belarus would be possible if Lithuania observed Belarus \u201cfor a certain period of time\u201d and \u201csaw that the situation is stable and the Belarusian regime poses no direct threat to this country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Coale made his most recent remarks about the need for dialogue between Vilnius and Minsk in an interview published by LRT<\/em> on March 27. \u201cPresident [Donald] Trump and I do not believe in preconditions,\u201d he said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coale stressed that both countries\u2019 diplomats should start resolving existing issues and enable trade with the European Union and the United States, including exports of Belarusian potash fertilizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius may consider limited engagement with Minsk at the level of deputy foreign ministers, in what would remain a largely technical dialogue, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginien\u0117 said on March 27, responding to Coale\u2019s suggestion.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While meeting with John Coale on March 18, prior to the envoy\u2019s talks with Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, Naus\u0117da rejected the idea of engagement with Minsk, warning that Belarus sought to drive a wedge among NATO allies, in particular between the United States and the European Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy answer was absolutely clear, because we know this neighbor well\u2014specifically this dictator,\u201d Naus\u0117da was quoted as saying. \u201cMy message to Mr. Coale was that we should interpret any steps by the Belarusian authorities with extreme caution, because they are inseparable from the Russian state in their nature and due to their identification with Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"