MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. Allegations, voiced by Lithuania and other European Union members, of Belarus facilitating illegal immigrant flows to the West are absurd and ridiculous, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.
"It is ridiculous to hear the European Union and some of its members wailing about an immigrant threat emanating from Belarus," she pointed out. "These are completely absurd allegations, given what Western countries did when they established coalitions and carried out crusades, particularly against countries in the Middle East and North Africa, destroying their way of life and creating huge immigration problems for the entire world, primarily for the European continent," Zakharova added.
The Russian diplomat noted that Belarus was "one of the world’s leaders in terms of the fight against human trafficking and illegal immigration, which promotes useful initiatives within international organizations." "It was largely Minsk’s efforts that helped stop illegal immigrant flows from depressed regions to EU countries but Brussels and the West in general have forgotten about it," Zakharova said.
"Belarus’ capacity certainly has its limits, given the enormous pressure and foreign influence that this sovereign state is facing," the diplomat emphasized. "If Belarus’ neighbors are really interested in reducing illegal immigrant flows, which, according to them, come from this country, they need to build direct contact with Minsk and begin talks like all civilized countries do when they want to solve problems instead of exacerbating them," she concluded.