Trump's rep says it's important to normalize U.S.-Belarus relations

MINSK. Sept 11 (Interfax) - U.S. President Donald Trump's representative John Coale said after a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Thursday that it is important to normalize bilateral relations between Belarus and the United States.

"The paramount objective of our engagement is to normalize bilateral relations between the Republic of Belarus and the United States. This means taking every possible step to deepen and strengthen our economic and political cooperation," the BelTA Belarusian state-run news agency quoted Coale as saying.

Coale also said that he is satisfied with the results of his meeting with Lukashenko and is confident that Trump will also be satisfied with these results after he is informed about them.

"The presidents of Belarus and the United States are the kind of leaders who are doing everything to normalize our relations and to focus not on differences, but on common ground," he said.

Coale described today's relations between Belarus and the U.S. as good but not excellent.

"There is still much that can be done to further normalize and improve these relations," he said.

"We want to reopen our embassy in Minsk. We want economic relations and trade between our countries to develop. If any differences or disagreements exist between our nations, let them remain submerged, they should not be brought to the surface. We are ready, and President Trump is ready, to do everything necessary to finally normalize our relations," Coale said.