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Uladzimir Makey was able to normalize relations with West in difficult periods, Lukashenka says

Uladzimir Makey was able to bring relations with the West back to normal in difficult periods, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on Wednesday while introducing the newly appointed foreign minister to the ministry`s staff, BelaPAN said.

The Belarusian leader acknowledged that he had thought for a long time about an appropriate successor to Foreign Minister Syarhey Martynaw, according to the government`s news agency BelTA.

He described Mr. Makey, a former head of the Presidential Administration, as a well-known figure who needs no lengthy introductions. Although he served at the foreign ministry and foreign diplomatic missions, it is possible that his foreign-policy potential was underused, Mr. Lukashenka said.

"It is no secret to you that I recruited him for some foreign-policy assignments," he said. "By my order, he met with many leaders both in the East and in the West and tried to bring our relations, especially with the West, back to normal during the particularly turbulent periods. And he did well."

During the meeting, Mr. Lukashenka presented the Third-Class Order of the Fatherland to Mr. Martynaw and promised to follow his career.

Mr. Martynaw announced quite a long time ago that he would like to do another job and resigned of his own free will, he said.

"For me personally and for the country he is not someone distant," Mr. Lukashenka said. "He has done not a little, I might even say a lot for the development of the foreign-policy and foreign economic agency. This is an intelligent person. His actions never made me allergic. What`s more, you probably know that I tried to engage him in analytical work that went beyond his direct responsibilities."

Mr. Lukashenka noted that Belarus had made no serious and damaging mistakes in the international arena despite "huge pressure from certain states for our independent foreign-policy course and the protection of our national interests."

Mr. Makey was appointed foreign minister by a presidential edict on August 20. On the same day, Mr. Martynaw was relieved of his position.