Official Minsk aspires to gain more weight on international arena

The Belarusian capital might host a trilateral meeting to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine.

The Belarusian authorities have previously declared their readiness to become a platform for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Were the advisory group meeting (Ukraine – Russia – OSCE) to take place in Minsk, the Belarusian authorities would strengthen their international position. The Belarusian government also reckons that official Minsk’s increased regional importance and neutral position in the Russian-Ukrainian confrontation will help it continue the process of normalising relations with the EU and the U.S. without major changes in domestic policy.