Belarus could benefit from mediating Russia-Turkey conflict - expert

The official visit of Lukashenka to Istanbul on April 13 was announced by news agency BelTA, reporting that "the head of state will attend the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which will be held under the motto "Unity and solidarity in the name of justice and peace." It is expected that during the event, Lukashenka will deliver a speech. The program of the working visit also provides for a number of bilateral meetings and negotiations with foreign leaders.

Political analyst Andrei Kazakevich said that there is nothing surprising in such an unexpected visit. For several years Belarus has expressed interest in the Islamic world.

"Belarus, at least in recent years, has been committed to the development of cooperation in the search for some kind of new financial sources. Therefore, I would regard this trip by Lukashenka in this light," said the expert.

Kazakevich recalls the close contacts of the official Minsk with the Gulf countries, the negotiations with the representatives of Iran, interest in mediation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

But what would the allies in the Kremlin think? Relations between Moscow and Ankara have been, to put it mildly, a little bit sour. The head of Belarus is unlikely to avoid a meeting with the Turkish leadership. According to Kazakevich, Minsk intends to act as a peacemaker here as well:

"I think that Belarus could offer itself as a mediator. Not a country that will use the tension between Russia and Turkey for more of its game, but rather as a facilitator. Belarus would benefit from such a position. Therefore, I do not think that this visit can cause really negative reaction of Moscow," the analyst believes.