Meeting with Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus Ante Josic

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with outgoing Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus Ante Josic in Minsk on 23 August.

“It is easy for me to talk to you as a representative of a religious confession, one of the main confessions in Belarus, because our views – the views of the leadership of Belarus and the Vatican - virtually coincide, especially on security issues. Security in Europe. The positions on the matter are absolutely consonant. The conflict in Ukraine, where we have almost the same stance on, testifies to the fact,” the President said. “I absolutely agree with you, and we have been talking about it for a long time. In order for Europe to live peacefully and live the way we live (no matter how much we complain our lives are not bad after all), we need a new peace treaty. We need a new peace, if I may say so, in Europe.”

“I think that the activity of our Catholic Church is not enough here. European countries need strong leaders who will proceed from the interests of their own peoples in the first place. They should not obey and act to please someone else, but see the interests of their own people. Unfortunately, let them not take offense at me, I do not see such leaders there,” the Belarusian leader added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko characterized Ante Jozic as a smart, educated, very active, and benevolent person.

“Despite certain limitations, and your position always has them (I know it well because I send ambassadors to foreign countries), you acted as a man of integrity. I am really pleased to meet with you today,” the head of state said.

He thanked Ante Jozic for the assistance rendered in the release of 30 Belarusian citizens after the start of the special military operation in Ukraine. “We appreciate it very much and will remember it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

The President also mentioned his contacts with the heads of the Holy See. “I recall my meetings with the Pope with great warmth. I was lucky as all the leaders of the Catholic Church whom I met with were very serious-minded and decent people,” he noted.

Aleksandr Lukashenko asked Ante Jozic to prepare the next apostolic nuncio to Belarus. “The new one needs to be even better than the previous one - this is the essence of progress. We will still be very happy if the new apostolic nuncio will be like Jozic. We absolutely agree with this. I would like to reiterate that it is a great pleasure for me to meet with you, to discuss the issues that may have emerged in the relations between Belarus and the Vatican and also with the Catholic Church in Belarus,” the POresident added.