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Today, August 9, a year after fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – leader of Belarusian civil society, who became the symbol of peaceful protests for democratic change in Belarus.

In a post-meeting press conference, reviewing challenging year, minister G. Landsbergis thanked the elected president of Belarus for a reminder of the importance of the fight for freedom and democracy:

‘The fight of Belarusian people reminds us the most important thing – fight for freedom never ends. Today, Lithuania is paying the price for supporting the Belarusian people, who seek democracy. However, I can assure you – we would do the same today. Freedom is not free, and today, exactly as it was thirty years ago, Lithuania is fighting for its freedom, for its right to protect our borders’,- Minister said.

In a statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), released today, it is emphasized that a hotbed of destabilization has emerged in the heart of Europe, which is increasingly threatening international security. Unprecedented organization of illegal migration is an act of hybrid aggression of the Belarusian political regime against Lithuania and the European Union (EU), as well as targeted attempt to divert our country’s foreign policy.

‘The current Lukashenko regime in Belarus is illegitimate, illegal and criminal. For over a year now, despite the efforts of the international community, the situation in Belarus continues to deteriorate, the country is turning into a totalitarian state. Inhuman treatment, torture, blackmail, persecution has become a common practice of the Belarusian regime in order to break any attempt at peaceful resistance. We consider any of Lukashenko's actions in domestic and foreign policy aimed at legitimizing his power and concluding new international agreements that limit the sovereignty of the Belarusian nation to be null and void’, - said in the statement.

By actively supporting all international initiatives aimed at tackling impunity in Belarus, Lithuania will insist on a thorough investigation into the crimes committed by Lukashenko regime against the people of Belarus and the perpetrators of these crimes to be brought to justice.

The statement also stressed that Lithuania will seek to expand the EU’s targeted and sectorial sanctions against the Belarusian regime, its supporters and the economic entities supporting the regime.

‘The only way out of the stalemate the regime is leading Belarus to by ignoring the aspirations of the Belarusian people, is to engage as soon as possible in a dialogue with Belarusian civil society and its Coordination Council on new, free and fair elections monitored by international observers under the auspices of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and in line with internationally recognized standards’, - said in the statement.

Lithuania actively supports Belarusian civil society, helps to bring the voice of the Belarusian people to the international arena and is at the forefront of mobilizing international support for democratic Belarus. Vilnius has become a safe haven for hundreds of human rights defenders, opposition and political activists, civil society and the Belarusian business community figures.

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Additional information: Since August 2020, 1612 National D visas have been granted through the simplified visa procedures with the support of Lithuanian MFA. Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior granted 825 permits to come to Lithuania because of special humanitarian causes for Belarusian citizens. During this time, Lithuanian MFA allocated aid for Belarusian civil initiatives and charities: 50 thousand euros granted to PLCC Teisės ir demokratijos centras (eng. Center for Law and Democracy), studying the crimes of A. Lukashenko’ regime; 65 thousand euros allocated to four different projects of Lithuanian scientific institutions, aimed at developing cooperation between the scientists of both countries; 100 thousand euros granted to independent representatives of Belarusian culture; volunteer financial support granted to charity fund BYSOL; 200 thousand euros allocated as annual injection for European Humanitarian University.

Read the full statement of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 9th, 2021, a year after the fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus here.