Moscow: Amid Ukraine’s refusal to negotiate in Belarus with Russia in the second round of talks, diplomatic sources in Moscow said the venue may be reconsidered. The talks were being slated to take place in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain. It runs through Grodno and Brest regions of Belarus and Podlaskie Voivodeship in Poland. Belarusian political expert Yury Voskresensky, who is close to the talks’ co-organizers, said on Thursday: “The Ukrainian side categorically opposed the negotiations in Belovezhskaya Pushcha … “As far as I know, according to unofficial information, the Russian side will not hold negotiations on the territory of other states. Negotiations are possible only on the territory of Belarus,” he told the broadcaster Rossiya 24. The talks’ organizers hope the meeting will take place, he added. Following this development, after the first round of talks on February 28, a diplomatic source in Moscow said a meeting between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine may be transferred from Belovezhskaya Pushcha to another place. The source said the venue will be within the Brest region of Belarus. The decision has not been made yet, the source in Moscow diplomatic circles told Sputnik on Thursday. “The negotiations may be transferred from Belovezhskaya Pushcha, but remain within the borders of the Brest region. Time is not clear yet.” The first round of talks had lasted five hours and both sides agreed to resume talks “in near future”. UNI ING MR
