Belarus, Poland support initiative to alter Normandy format

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko together with Poland is ready to initiate a change in the format to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski made a statement following talks in Minsk, Belarus, with Belarusian President, PAP news agency reports.

"President Lukashenko has also acknowledged the need to alter the format of talks on peace (in Ukraine - ed.), and he is ready along with Poland to initiate another peace initiative," said Waszczykowski.

During the talks Lukashenko thanked Poland for its vision of Belarus as an independent and stable state. "I think that your country in the West does not need another unstable country following Ukraine crisis," Lukashenko noted.

President of Belarus said he wanted to restore relations with Poland on the highest level and meet with the leadership of Poland in the near future.

During Waszczykowski’s travel to Belarus the sides also discussed the possibility of modernizing the border crossing checkpoints between the two countries for implementing local cross-border traffic regime, and keeping historical dialogue and solving problems of the Polish minority in Belarus.