Belarus still unaware whether Ukraine contact group will meet in Minsk on Jan 16 – Foreign Ministry
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry is still unaware whether the trilateral contact group for resolving the crisis in Ukraine will gather in Minsk on January 16, as was said before, ministry press secretary Dmitry Mironchik told Interfax.
"The situation hasn't changed in comparison with yesterday evening. We still don't have a consolidated statement by the participants in the negotiating process on their intention to hold a meeting in Minsk on January 16," Mironchik said.
He also confirmed Minsk's willingness to host such a meeting at a request by the negotiating parties, adding that "we have the technical opportunity to organize the meeting."
The leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics said on Wednesday that they had received invitations from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to hold negotiations in Minsk on January 16.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said the date and venue of the contact group meeting had not yet been set, although Minsk was under consideration as the established forum.
