Numerous comments and questions relating to the International Conference on Belarus on 22 November, 2021 in Vienna, prompt us to state the following:
- The above-mentioned event was initiated, organized and will be hosted by and under the auspices of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. We support the idea of a dialogue leading to negotiations as a final objective in any conflict as a matter of principle.
- Our major mission is to provide relevant information on developments in its core area, the Former Soviet Union. Given the volatility of the situation in and around Belarus (demands to expand and intensify sanctions on Belarus, minimal possible concessions of the regime in Minsk; Russian focus on transition in Russia itself), Track One Diplomacy faces an extremely daunting task.
- Against this backdrop, we will follow a structured agenda consisting of a series of meetings that cater to the more modest objective of increasing and upgrading our inventory of relevant information and views of all important groups concerned. Below is a short video of our first meeting on this topic, which was conducted a year ago.