Belarusian foreign minister meets with US top-ranking officials

1996-10-04 13:20

Minsk, 4 October. According to the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Uladzimir Syanko held a number of meetings with top-ranking officials at the United States' Department of State and Department of Defense. During the meetings, the parties discussed questions concerning relations between the two countries. The Belarusian minister informed the US officials of the reasons and essence of the forthcoming national referendum in Belarus. At the request of the US party Mr. Syanko dwelt on the problems of the oncoming Constitutional reform. The parties also discussed questions concerning the establishment of closer relations in the sphere of trade and investment, the US technical assistance in carrying out market-oriented reform, the intensification of economic relations, as well as European security and NATO's eastward expansion. Mr. Syanko emphasized the need to continue the bilateral and multilateral dialogue on President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's proposal for the creation of a nuclear-free zone in Eastern and Central Europe.
Mr. Syanko met US Senator Lugar, co-author of the program of assistance to the former USSR states, to discuss the implementation of this program in Belarus and the subsequent cooperation in this field.
The Belarusian foreign minister also met with Washington Post editors and journalists. Mr. Syanko told them about the situation in the country and the forthcoming referendum and replied to their questions.