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AzerNEWS Staff

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US special envoy John Coale has told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that he fully agrees with his call for frozen Belarusian funds to be unfrozen and returned.

The statement was made during a meeting between Coale and Lukashenko, according to Belarusian media.

“We have approached the bank with a request to unfreeze these funds. We are now working out a mechanism for how this can be done,” Coale said.

“As soon as we receive a specific response from the bank, we will immediately inform you,” he added.

Lukashenko, for his part, sought to clarify that he was not making a demand, but rather asking for previously reached agreements to be strictly observed.

“This is not a demand. It is a request that the agreements reached be strictly observed,” the Belarusian leader said.

“Okay!” Coale replied.

The exchange comes amid efforts to advance dialogue between Washington and Minsk, with the issue of frozen Belarusian assets emerging as one of the sensitive questions in the relationship.

Coale’s comments indicate that the US side is exploring practical mechanisms for potentially releasing the funds, although the exact procedure and timing remain unclear.

The reference to a bank response also suggests that any move to unfreeze the assets could depend on financial and legal arrangements that have yet to be finalised.

Lukashenko’s emphasis on the implementation of existing agreements, meanwhile, underlined Minsk’s position that the issue should be treated as part of commitments already reached rather than as a new concession.

For now, Coale said Washington would provide Minsk with further information once a concrete response from the relevant bank is received.