US presidential envoy John Coale met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Thursday.

Axar.az informs, citing BelTA, the Belarusian leader has revealed key details of the ongoing negotiations, saying discussions cover a broad range of political and economic issues.

“We are discussing our bilateral relations: from restoring the normal work of the embassy to the release of the so-called political prisoners,” he said, adding that Belarusian legislation does not include such a category.

According to the head of state, the talks also address economic matters, including sanctions.

There are more than 1,100 political prisoners in Belarusian jails, many arrested after a disputed 2020 election that triggered widespread protests, according to the Viasna human rights centre.