Belarus said that President Alexander Lukashenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in a telephone call that Minsk and the EU should discuss the migrant crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border, writes France24.

Germany, however, did not confirm any Belarus-EU talks, saying that Merkel and Lukashenko spoke about Europe providing support in the form of humanitarian aid and helping return the migrants.

Lukashenko’s press service said the Belarus leader and Merkel “agreed that the problem as a whole will be brought up to the level of Belarus and the EU”.

“Relevant officials to be determined from both sides will immediately start negotiations to resolve the existing problems”, - it said.

Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German leader had “underlined the need to provide humanitarian care and return options for the affected people” during the call.

Merkel, he added, said this could be done with support from the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration and in cooperation with the European Commission.