Meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Belarus Alireza Sanei

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Belarus Alireza Sanei on 4 March.

"Mr Ambassador, I want you to understand that our meeting today is not symbolic. We are fully aware of what is happening in the Middle East, including in Iran, which is a friendly country to us. You know that Belarus has always been and continues to be a strong advocate for peace. War is genetically unacceptable to us, because having been at the heart of every war, Belarus knows very well what war truly is. We lost millions upon millions of people in all the wars that took place in our region. Most global wars rolled eastward and back again through Belarus," the President said.

"Therefore, we see Israel's treacherous attack on Iran with U.S. support for what it is and it is unacceptable to us. All the more so because it killed innocent people, children above all. The spiritual leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has died. You know that I had good relations with him. I think we met about three times and discussed international problems. He was a humanist, not a military man, focused on protecting his people and his state. Therefore, what happened to him, to his family, to his wife who died from her wounds, is absolutely unacceptable to me," the Belarusian leader said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko once again extended his condolences to Iran over the deaths of civilians, children, and Ali Khamenei.

"Everything I have said is clear and visible to the entire world. What worries me is that the Gulf states may be drawn into this war and become participants in this brutal conflict. I'm afraid that is exactly what will happen. That is why the international community, and above all the major powers, and even more so Israel and the United States, must realize that this conflict may lead to unpredictable developments," the Belarusian leader warned.

Addressing the ambassador, the President asked how Belarus could be of help in this situation, given the position the country has taken on the conflict. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated this quite transparently. This is the position of the Belarusian leadership and of the Belarusian people," the head of state added.