Lithuanian formin calls for intl response to Belarus' presidential election

VILNIUS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys is calling for an international response to next year's Belarusian presidential election.

Budrys made the statement on Friday after meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Lithuania's top diplomat emphasized the need for a strong international response to the January 26 "event organized by the regime to re-elect Alexander Lukashenko". He also called for continuing the sanctions policy and ramping up support for democratic forces in Belarus.

“Lithuania's national security interest is a democratic and peaceful neighboring Belarus, which is why the 19th government of Lithuania will continue to support the democratic forces of Belarus. We will ensure that Belarusians who have received temporary refuge in Lithuania feel safe and are able to contribute to work for the democratization of their country," he said in the press release.

Budrys noted that Lithuania raised the Belarus issue at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels this month and plans to do so again in January.

"We have to speak out loud about what is happening in Belarus: the Lukashenko regime's unabated repression of the Belarusian people, continued support for Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, and partnerships with China, Iran, and North Korea," the minister said.

"The processes taking place in Belarus will have consequences not only for Lithuania, but for the whole of Europe and the international security architecture," he added.

Budrys and Tsikhanouskaya also discussed the deployment of Russian military forces in Belarus, the circumvention of sanctions, and growing Chinese influence.

The Belarusian presidential election is set for January, four and a half years after mass protests broke out across the country over alleged vote-rigging. 

Since 1994, Belarus, a key ally of Russia, has been ruled by Lukashenko, who has wiped out the opposition and imprisoned hundreds of critics and protesters.