Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski met Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov in New York amid talk of a possible “thaw” in relations between Warsaw and Minsk. The two sides discussed the situation at the border and regional security.
This was reported by RMF24.
Sikorski confirmed that the meeting took place during his stay at the United Nations, which he described as “neutral territory”. According to him, this makes it possible to hold talks even with representatives of states with which relations are not normalized under other circumstances.
The Polish foreign minister noted that contacts between Poland and Belarus at this level had probably not taken place since 2016. He also pointed to a more stable situation at the border and the release of political prisoners, including Andrzej Poczobut.
During the talks, the two sides discussed the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border and regional security. Asked whether he had raised the issue of Belarus preventing Russian drones and missiles from flying through its territory, Sikorski replied: “among other things”.
“This is the first, introductory meeting, but contacts are also taking place between other ministries and at other levels. We will soon open a new embassy building in Minsk. When a neighbor wants to thaw and improve relations, Poland is always the first to seek agreement,” Sikorski said.
At the same time, he stressed that Poland recognizes states, not governments. Speaking about a possible normalization of relations with Belarus, Sikorski compared the current situation to “a snowdrop that may bloom if the weather is favorable”.
