Relations between Belarus and Sweden depend on goodwill of Swedish side - Minsk
MINSK. Jan 23 (Interfax) - Belarus is interested in developing relations with Sweden in all spheres and the Swedish side is now demonstrating similar interest, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yelena Kupchina said.
"We are of interest to each other. Often politics divides while the economy brings sides closer to each other," she said commenting for Interfax on the Tuesday consultations with Swedish Foreign Ministry representatives in Minsk.
Kupchina said that the meeting was held at the initiative of the Swedish side. "The country is interested in active trade and economic interaction with Belarus," she said.
"Despite the crisis in bilateral relations which occurred through no blame of the Belarusian side, to put it mildly, today we see positive dynamics in trade and economic cooperation," Kupchina said. Last year the influx of direct Swedish investment in the Belarusian economy tripled, she added.
The further development of bilateral relations will largely depend "on the goodwill of the Swedish side," she said.
Kupchina did not specify whether the meeting mulled the resumption of the operations of the embassies of the two countries.
Swedish Ambassador to Minsk Stefan Eriksson had to leave Belarus on August 3, 2012, after Belarus refused to extend his consular accreditation.