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Sunday, on the eve of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Kęstutis Budrys, along with other EU ministers, met with the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

EU foreign ministers expressed their strong support for Belarusian democratic forces and underlined the need for coherence and continuity in the EU's policy towards Belarus.

According to Budrys, the people of Belarus have the right to live in a free country and democratically elect its leaders. The Minister stressed that Lithuania will continue to support Belarusian society in its efforts to achieve this goal.

“A right does not arise from wrongdoing” said the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy, recalling that already in 2020, the EU had not recognized the results of the presidential elections. Therefore, there is no reason to refer to the event that took place in Belarus on Sunday as “elections”.

“Since August 2020, the regime’s grip on power has further strengthened, and state security forces have persistently and systematically used violence against civil society, the media and the opposition. Enslaved by Lukashenka, Belarus has become a platform for Russian military operations, directly involved in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” said the Foreign Minister.

The head of Lithuanian diplomacy stressed the need to continue the policy of non-recognition and isolation of the Lukashenka regime and strengthen the sanctions regime. According to Budrys, it is important to focus on the Lukashenko regime’s accountability for crimes against humanity.