site.btaForeign Minister Mitov Confers with Belarus Counterpart Makei

Foreign Minister Mitov Confers with Belarus Counterpart Makei

Minsk/Sofia, April 11 (BTA) - "Bulgaria and the international community will benefit from the development of relations with Belarus. There is ungauged potential for expansion of relations with the Council of Europe and the European Union to our common interest," Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said at a Monday meeting with his counterpart in Minsk on Monday, Mitov's ministry said.

Mitov is on a working visit to Belarus on April 11 and 12 in his capacity of Chairman of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers. Bulgaria will chair the committee until May 18, 2016.

Bulgaria is an active participant in the EU discussions involving the situation in Belarus. The principal message of the CoE in February was that there is readiness to promote the dialogue with Belarus. This became possible after the political prisoners were released in August 2015. The need for their complete rehabilitation and the restoration of their civil and political rights, however, remains.

Mitov expressed satisfaction with the successful cooperation between his host country and Bulgaria in the sphere of tourism.

In turn, Makei was adamant that Bulgaria has been and remains one of the most attractive destinations for tourists from Belarus.

The sides expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations in recent years.

Mitov also conferred with Vladimir Andreichenko, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, as well as representatives of NGOs.