Tertel hopes that Lukashenko's messages will be heard and appreciated by neighbors

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, when recently making the decision to pardon 14 convicts, was guided by the humanitarian aspect, as well as the desire to establish good-neighborly relations between the countries.

This was stated in the program by the Chairman of the KGB of Belarus Ivan Tertel, who took part in the meeting of Alexander Lukashenko with the special envoy of the US President Keith Kellogg.

"The head of state took this step at the request of the American administration, realizing that this will still lead to certain reciprocal steps by other states, and we will generally achieve some kind of consensus, and in Europe we will be calm, we will reach a solution to the issue in a constructive way," Tertel said.

He noted that when making decisions on pardons, the extent to which a particular person participated in illegal activity is always taken into account: "We see from the general context that a number of these people were drawn into illegal activity, they were manipulated, they were ordinary performers. Ultimately, those who manipulated them are now abroad, living well, wearing good branded clothes, have very significant benefits abroad, acquired, according to our data, as a result of the theft of various funds."

"In other countries, things are different for now. But this is a question for the authorities of these states. And, probably, the people and population of these states, in particular Lithuania, some others have the right to ask their officials what their hard-earned money is spent on, which could have gone to supporting the elderly, medicine, children. And in general, on humanitarian spheres, and not on direct confrontation and attempts to stir up the situation in Belarus." The head of the KGB noted that the Republic of Belarus has always declared its peaceful intentions, Alexander Lukashenko has always advocated good-neighborly relations. "Belarusians have a good parable that the most important relationship is not even with a relative, but with a neighbor who lives in the next apartment or across the fence, because a neighbor can treat you very badly, and garbage can be thrown into your yard. Europeans also have this expression. Therefore, in principle, the President was guided by this, - noted Ivan Tertel. - He gives us instructions in all directions in line with such approaches to work on other issues. We work together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, report to the head of state, but he directly manages the process and personally participates in these events." Lukashenko's meeting with the US President's Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg, according to Ivan Tertel, is only one of many contacts of the head of state, including at the highest level. "There are many of them at a high level with other countries. And, of course, it is not time to talk about them yet, but we will tell you in time," he promised.

Ivan Tertel:

"I think that this gesture that our head of state showed to our neighbors, despite their not entirely good-neighborly and balanced policy and not for the benefit of their peoples, and these messages that our head of state sent to them, will be heard, and we will see the same good-neighborly approach from their side. They say that hope dies last. We will hope that this is not the case."