Relations between Washington and Minsk will improve as Belarusian democracy flourishes, a joint statement by the country's Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.
Martynov met with Clinton at the OSCE summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
The United States encouraged Belarus's decision to attract international observers to December 19 presidential elections.
"Respect for the democracy and human rights, which are necessary for country's progress, is of significant importance in terms of improving bilateral relations," the statement said.
Washington has traditionally been critical of Belarus' record on human rights, once calling Lukashenko "Europe's last dictator."
MINSK, December 1 (RIA Novosti)
