Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yuri Ambrazevich expressed concern over ‘unfounded accusations’ made by Poland and Lithuania regarding illegal migration Specifically, Ambrazevich disputes the accusation of the ‘purposeful use of illegal refugees’ by the Belarussian government to create a border crisis.
The Belarusian government and the UNHCR have been working together to address the growing number of migrants from Ukraine. Ambrazevich recalled the effective cooperation between the Belarusian government and the UNHCR in resolving the migrant crisis on the border with EU countries. However, Ambrazevich says Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have refused cooperation on countering illegal migration, making them responsible for the growth of organised crime and the suffering of refugees. Ambrazevich also met with Vice President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Gilles Carbonnier in Geneva.
The parties discussed the state of international relations, the development of their military and humanitarian components, and their commitment to maintaining operational support for each other in case of humanitarian emergencies. Ambrazevich welcomed the ICRC’s activities in supporting the Belarusian Red Cross, which aims to help the government meet the basic needs of refugees and displaced persons from Ukraine.
