Belarus summons Polish diplomat over espionage allegations, issues formal protest

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has summoned Poland’s chargé d'affaires in Minsk, Krzysztof Ożanna, in response to what it described as an act of espionage committed by a Polish national on Belarusian territory.

During the meeting, the Polish diplomat was presented with a strong protest and handed an official diplomatic note over the alleged involvement of Polish citizen Grzegorz Gaweł in intelligence-gathering activities within Belarus, Caliber.Az reports, citing Belarus media.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the actions attributed to Gaweł constitute a serious breach of international norms and have been deemed “unacceptable” by Minsk. The ministry further accused Warsaw of violating the principles of good neighborliness and undermining the foundations of bilateral relations.

“The Polish diplomat was informed of the unacceptability of such actions by Warsaw, which grossly violate the principles of good neighborliness and inflict serious damage to bilateral relations,” the Foreign Ministry stated.

In its communication, Belarus also made clear its intention to provide a legal assessment of the incident, signaling that judicial proceedings or further retaliatory measures could follow.

The Belarusian government has called on Poland to refrain from further actions that could endanger its national security and urged Warsaw to return to what it termed “the path of civilized dialogue and accepted forms of interstate communication.”

By Vafa Guliyeva