Feb 19 (Reuters) - Belarus, a close ally of Russia rarely invited to international gatherings, said on Thursday it had intended to attend the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump's Board
Belarus Says Visa Denied After Rare Invite to Trump's Peace Board
Sanctions, Diplomacy and Market Implications
Feb 19 (Reuters) - Belarus, a close ally of Russia rarely invited to international gatherings, said on Thursday it had intended to attend the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace in Washington but failed to receive the necessary visas.
Background on Western Sanctions
Belarus has long been subject to Western sanctions over its human rights record and punitive measures were intensified after President Alexander Lukashenko allowed his country's territory to be used for Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has made diplomatic overtures to Belarus, dropping some sanctions in exchange for the release of detainees deemed political prisoners by Western countries.
Planned Attendance and Invitation
Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov had been due to attend, his ministry said, and the U.S. side duly informed.
Visa Denial Statement
"However, despite carrying out all the required procedures from our side, visas were not issued to our delegation," the ministry said in a statement.
Questions on Process and Protocol
"In this situation, a valid question arises -- what kind of peace and what kind of sequence of steps are we talking about if the organisers cannot even complete basic formalities for us to take part?"
Lukashenko’s Role in Normalisation
The ministry said Trump's invitation to attend the Board of Peace meeting had originally been sent to Lukashenko.
Lukashenko, in power since 1994, agreed last month to join the Board of Peace -- an invitation extended by the U.S. as part of its normalisation process involving prisoner releases.
Perceptions and Opposition
Trump has called Lukashenko a "highly respected" leader - a description at odds with those by exiled Belarus opposition leaders, who denounce him as a dictator.
47 Nations Reported Attending
Board Scope and Participation
Representatives of 47 nations attended the meeting of the Board, proposed by Trump in September when he announced his plan to end Israel's war in Gaza. He later made clear the board's remit would expand to tackle other conflicts worldwide.
(Reporting by Reuters, editing by Deepa Babington)
