Belarus eager to restore cooperation with Sweden after diplomatic war

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday that his country is ready to restore full-format cooperation with Sweden.

Belarus has always opted for a balanced, positive and pragmatic dialogue with all countries, Lukashenko said when receiving credentials from foreign states' ambassadors in Minsk on Thursday.

He noted that Sweden plays an important role in regional and subregional processes of Northern Europe. "Its voice is counted in the European Union. We have never denied the fact that we can learn a lot from Sweden," he added.

The diplomatic crisis between Belarus and Sweden arose in 2012 after a light plane with a Swedish crew had illegally flown across the Lithuanian-Belarusian border on July 4 and dropped hundreds of teddy bears with free speech messages. Belarus recalled its embassy and its entire staff from Sweden and offered Stockholm to do the same based on the principle of reciprocity.

In 2013 Belarus adopted a positive decision in response to Sweden's request to accredit its charge d'affaires in Minsk. A year later, the Belarusian authorities allowed Sweden to increase the diplomatic staff of its mission in Belarus.