Washington: US President Donald Trump announced the nomination of lawyer John Coale as the special envoy to Belarus, highlighting Coale's track record in negotiating hostage releases. Trump made the announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social, expressing his satisfaction with Coale's appointment.

According to Anadolu Agency, Trump emphasized Coale's previous success, stating that he has already secured the release of 100 hostages and is working towards freeing an additional 50. Trump extended his gratitude to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in anticipation of his cooperation in these efforts.

Coale has been instrumental in US-Belarus diplomatic engagements during Trump's second term, leading negotiations that resulted in the release of 52 prisoners in September. In August, Trump and Lukashenko engaged in a phone discussion about bilateral and regional matters.

Trump described the conversation as "a wonderful talk" with the Belarusian president and expressed appreciation for the release of prisoners while mentioning plans to discuss the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Lukashenko invited Trump and his family to visit Minsk, and reports from the Belarus state-run BeltA news confirmed that Trump accepted the invitation.