Lukashenka wants to improve relations with US

"Belarus is absolutely not against the normalization of relations with Europe and the United States", Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenka said Friday in a statement when receiving Cardinal Torciose Bertone, Pope Benedict XVI's state secretary, who is on official visit in Belarus. The Belarusian leader also stressed that "this country would not let anyone interfere with internal affairs", reports Belapan.

Lukashenka noted that "the opposition and some forces in the neighboring countries and in the West interpret the vist of the Holy See's state secretary as an attempt of the Belarusian leadership to improve relations with Western Europe through assistnace from the Roman Catholic Church".

He would not confirm this information. At the same time, if those relations improve after this visit, the leadership of Belarus will be pleased, Lukashenka said.