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Lithuanian foreign minister urges EU to engage in dialogue with Belarus

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius has called on the European Union to engage in a dialogue with Belarus, BelaPAN said.

"Only in this case we will manage to see some changes," Lithuania`s news website delfi.lt quoted him as saying in a televised interview.

Mr. Linkevicius, who served as ambassador to Belarus before his appointment as foreign minister last year, acknowledged that Minsk was an important economic partner for Vilnius, but stressed that "we are not going to let economic interests take priority over human rights."

"Economic cooperation also brings [countries] together, makes them talk more constructively, it makes pragmatic people think about obstacles to cooperation," the minister said. "These obstacles are political prisoners, human rights abuse and other."

Mr. Linkevicius spoke against calls for isolating Belarus. "Walls should not be built. An opportunity should be found to influence our colleagues, have more communication, cooperate. I have realized that they can be talked to," he said.

The minister said that Lithuania issued about a thousand visas to Belarusians every day. "We are making efforts to make it easier for Belarusians to see the world, see Europe, they can travel to Europe through our country," he said.