US ambassador dismisses alleged plans for Bush-Lukashenko meeting as absurdity :: Charter'97 :: News

There are no plans for a meeting between George Bush and Aleksandr Lukashenko during festivities on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the anti-Hitler coalition`s victory, said George Krol, the US ambassador to Belarus, at a news conference in Minsk on Thursday.

Nikolai Cherginets, a committee chairman in the Council of the Republic of the Belarusian National Assembly, said on April 22 that US President George Bush was considering meeting with Mr. Lukashenko in Moscow during May 9 events marking the defeat of the Nazis in World War II.

“As any politician, I have connections and special relations with a certain circle of people, including in the USA,” Mr. Cherginets told BelaPAN. "They gave me a signal that Mr. Bush and his team allegedly consider a possible meeting with Aleksandr Lukashenko during the 60-annivarsary victory celebrations, when thrown together in Moscow.”

Ambassador Krol dismissed Mr. Cherginets` allegation as an absurdity.

Brian Bennett, the British ambassador to Belarus who represents the Luxembourg presidency of the European Union, added that it is a common stance of the leaders of EU member countries that there can be no plans for a meeting with the president of Belarus.