US ‘very concerned’ about Belarus-Poland border migrant crisis

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) – The US is “very concerned” about the situation at the Belarus-Poland border and is keeping a close watch on the developments related to stranded migrants, US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday.

“On the issue of Belarus and what is happening at the border with Poland, we are very concerned about that and closely paying attention to it,” Harris said responding to a question on the escalating migrant crisis during a news conference to mark the end of her first official visit to France.

Harris said she discussed the ongoing developments unfolding at the Polish border with French President Emmanuel Macron.

“The Lukashenko regime is engaged in a very troubling activity. It is something I discussed with President Macron and the world is watching what is happening there.”

The US along with the UK and the European nations France, Albania, Estonia, and Ireland on Thursday issued a joint statement at the UN, accusing Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize the European borders and putting their lives in danger for political purposes.

The EU has also threatened to boost sanctions against Belarus, blaming President Alexander Lukashenko for manufacturing a crisis by luring migrants from the Middle East countries and pushing them to enter the EU by breaching the borders. Lukashenko, in turn, has threatened to cut off gas supplies to the EU if it imposes new sanctions.

On reviving the stalled nuclear deal with Iran, Harris confirmed the US is looking to “re-enter” the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and hoped the talks will be productive to that end.

The nuclear talks between the UK, France, Germany, China, Russia, and Iran will resume in Vienna on Nov. 29.

Interestingly, Harris downplayed the rift between the US and France over the submarine crisis which has been a major source of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

She said this was not the “purpose” of her four-day visit and the topic was not even discussed in her meeting with Macron. “What we discussed were the issues that are challenging us and those which strengthen the endurance of our relationship.”

Paris had recalled its envoys from Washington and Canberra in September after Australia canceled a multi-million dollar contract for the supply of submarines by France and awarded the same to the US. France accused the UK, the US and Australia of “backstabbing” and “lying” for forging the deal under a new defense alliance to defend the Indo-Pacific from China’s influence.