On April 4, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. Sanctions against Belarus will not yield positive results. This opinion was expressed today by the Apostolic Nuncio in Belarus, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, at a press conference in the Cathedral of Jesus the Merciful in Vitebsk, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. According to the diplomat, the task he received from the Pope of Rome when heading to our country is, regardless of the reasons underlying the conflict between Belarus and the European Union, to work for the benefit of Belarus and its people. "Our activities will be aimed at minimizing the consequences of the conflict, as its repercussions will primarily affect the lives of ordinary people," emphasized Claudio Gugerotti. "The Catholic Church does not have authority over officials in Europe or Belarus. However, the presence of the Vatican's envoy in Belarus serves as a reminder to other diplomats that isolation and the absence of constructive dialogue have never brought and will never bring positive results to anyone," said the Archbishop, expressing hope that his fellow diplomats would soon return to Belarus. "The escalation of the conflict has only led to European officials not knowing what to do next to resolve the current situation and end it," he said. From a political science perspective, confrontation always tends to intensify. An improvement in the situation and a reduction in tension can be brought about by some change in this process. "The Catholic Church does not set itself the ambitious goal of becoming this factor, but it will try to contribute to extinguishing this confrontation," added the Apostolic Nuncio, emphasizing that the Vatican has considerable accumulated experience and knowledge in matters concerning such situations, and representatives of the Holy See who were in countries facing similar circumstances have always strived to actively work for the benefit of the people. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti as Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus on July 16, 2011. Previously, he held the post of Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. This is a diplomatic position. A Nuncio is a diplomatic representative of the Pope of Rome in a country with which the Vatican has diplomatic relations.-0-

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