MINSK, 29 July (BelTA) – Belarus will always be at the forefront of supporting refugees, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he met with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres on 29 July. “You have a very honorable mission. You may be helping people in distress more than others. I am very glad that you can have an opportunity to see the country, see the real state of things here and the most problem category of people in the world. Unfortunately, the number of such problem people, who are in trouble in their homeland, does not decrease. We feel it in our country. Here thousands and thousands of people – refugees, stateless persons – ask our country for aid. We do our best and utmost to help them,” Alexander Lukashenko told Antonio Guterres. The President assured Antonio Guterres that Belarus will always cooperate with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and will be at the forefront of providing support to refugees. In turn, Antonio Guterres said that he usually visits countries in distress. He arrived in Belarus to express recognition and respect. The High Commissioner reminded that on the eve Belarus and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had signed an agreement on cooperation and the legal status of the representation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Belarus and its personnel. Antonio Guterres pointed out the advanced level of cooperation between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Belarusian government agencies that deal with migration affairs. “Fortunately, Belarus has avoided the problem of xenophobia that exists in many countries. This is why we consider Belarus to be a strategic partner not only in matters relating to the protection of refugees. The support Belarus provides in the fight against slave trade at the national and international levels is none the less important,” said Antonio Guterres.

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