Police engaged in guarding Belarusian-Ukrainian border - Lukashenko

MINSK. Jan 23 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has emphasized the importance of guarding Belarus's border with Ukraine and said that police have been engaged in these activities.

"Police have already been engaged there [at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border], and local government bodies have provided support and are refusing nothing, which is good for them. Plus Armed Forces units," the presidential press service quoted Lukashenko as saying at a conference in Minsk on Monday.

Belarus has concentrated quite a lot of army resources to support the Border Troops, Lukashenko said. He prompted the State Border Committee to report the situation surrounding border security.

"As the commander, you must feel it whether you have enough forces and resources that we've allotted to tighten border security, including in the south of Belarus, on the border with Ukraine," he said.

He also mentioned a flow of refugees from Asia seeking to get to Europe via Belarus.

"The flow of people from Asia (Afghanistan, Iran) is not subsiding, we have recorded that. People keep coming here even from the south, from the Persian Gulf area. We've also recorded Syrians," the SB-Belarus Segodnya state publication quoted Lukashenko as saying.

Lukashenko demanded that information on the nationality of the refugees be presented to him. "Who are they? From what countries are they travelling via Belarus? And has this flow increased or decreased?" he asked State Border Committee head Anatoly Lappo.

Lukashenko also mentioned attention given to Ukrainian refugees in Belarus. "Ukrainians are a different story, these are our people. There're no particular problems here. Whoever wants it, they come and stay here permanently. Some of them request certain services, like giving them food and water, warm them, or provide them with some medical attention. We're doing that. There are no particular problems here," he said.