The issue of the state border between Belarus and Ukraine has not been solved yet

Experts of Belarus and Ukraine are intended to discuss the issue of completion of the procedure of signing the Belarusian-Ukrainian Treaty on the State Border in the second part of September of 2010.

Foreign Affairs Minister of Belarus announced to journalists on Wednesday after meeting his colleagues from Ukraine and Lithuania, “Interfax-West” reports.

“This issue (note: exchange of ratification instruments) is discussed within the frameworks of the working group and joint commission, which operate under the guidance of first vice premiers of our countries.

The next meeting is planned for the second part of September”, - the minister marked.

He added that the answer (note: about the terms of exchange of ratification instruments) will depend on the results of their work.

As it was informed earlier, the Treaty on State Border between Ukraine and Belarus was signed on May,12, 1997. The document was ratified by the “Verkhovna Rada” of Ukraine on July, 18 of the same year, but it remained not ratified by the “National Assembly” of Belarus till May of this year.

After the “House of Representatives” passed the bill on the ratification and the “Council of the Republic” approved it, Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed the law. But till now Belarus and Ukraine has not exchanged the instruments of ratification.

As the Ambassador of Ukraine in Minsk Roman Bessmertny declared to journalists, “Belarusian side connects the so-called issue of the debt (note: Ukrainian debt to Belarus) with the issue of the border. It is the main obstacle for the exchange of the ratification instruments (note: according to the Treaty on State Border)”, - Bessmertny stated.

The Ambassador underlined that “Ukrainian side does not see a possibility to answer for what belongs to the former Soviet Union and to enterprises (note: Ukrainian), which do not exist today. That is why the parties are continuously holding discussions and consultations”, - Bessmertny marked.