Belarus must retain its place in 'European family' – Lithuanian foreign minister

  • 2025-02-04
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – Europe must keep a place for Belarus in the "European family", Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Tuesday. 

Speaking at the Kosciuszko Forum in Poland, Budrys said that despite the country being "chained by Lukashenko's regime and enslaved by Russia", its aspirations to be part of Europe are alive.

"Belarus belongs in Europe, but to return to the European path, the country must free itself both from the grip of the dictator Lukashenko and from Russia's influence. We must help Belarus' democratic forces on this path, because a democratic Belarus is important for the security of both Lithuania and the whole region," the Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying in a press release.

According to Budrys, it is important to continue supporting Belarus' democratic forces, help preserve the Belarusian language and culture, increase pressure on Alexander Lukashenko's regime, and encourage closer ties between democratic Belarus and Europe.

"Europe is, and must remain, the home for those who strive for freedom, dignity, and independence," he added.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, secured his seventh consecutive term in office in late January in an election that lacked real competition and was condemned by the West and the opposition in exile.

After the 2020 election, Belarus was rocked by mass protests, with demonstrators accusing Lukashenko of rigging the vote. Minsk responded with repression, and tens of thousands of Belarusians fled the country, mostly to neighboring Poland and Lithuania.

Hosted by the Foreign Ministry of Poland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, the Kosciuszko Forum discusses the prospects of Belarus' democratic movement, the human rights situation in the country, and the international community's role in supporting democratic processes.