Belarus committed to prompt settlement of Ukrainian conflict - Lukashenko

MINSK. May 23 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called Belarus an honest and decent country and said why the country is extremely interested in the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

"We are not aggressors like some states are trying to present us. Belarus has never initiated any wars or conflicts. But we are not traitors. Honesty and decency in relations are important for our country. Our position is that the concerns and interests of any country, regardless of whether it's one-eighth of earth's land surface or an island state, should be heard by everyone. That is why Belarus is sincerely and constantly committed to prompt peace," the Belarusian president said in his letter to the UN secretary general, a complete text of which was published by the state agency BelTA on Monday.

"Only by putting out the hotbed of confrontation can we start building a new post-conflict world order, where the interests of all states will be taken into account," Lukashenko said.