RIGA - Concerned over the situation in Belarus, particularly the recent persecutions and arrests of opposition politicians, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga has called on Russia to get more involved as a partner in solving the issue.
In an interview with Radio SWH, she said that the "persecution of the opposition means that Belarus is slipping into increasing political isolation, and that Russia is one of the few partners it still has." The EU, she suggested, should discuss how to respond to the existing situation with Russia, and together solve the problem.
Vike-Freiberga's comments came days after her visit to Israel, where she voiced solidarity with Tel-Aviv in its stance vis-a-vis Hamas, the political organization that has used terrorism in its fight against the state of Israel.
Recently, the Latvian president has been increasingly visible in foreign policy, which many analysts say is dictated by her possible candidacy for U.N. secretary general. She has reportedly received a preliminary nod from U.S. President George W. Bush, though Russia has stated repeatedly it would not support Vike-Freiberga since, according to the principle of rotation, the next secretary general should come from Asia.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has also expressed concerns about human rights violations in Belarus. The recent activities of Belarus authorities directed against representatives of the country's civil society and non-governmental organizations suggest that there are attempts to restrict freedom of thought and expression in Belarus, the ministry said.
Several activists of Belarus' political opposition have been arrested in recent days.
Authoritarian leader Aleksander Lukashenko has drawn severe criticism from the West for systematic persecutions of his political opponents, human rights violations and restrictions on press freedom.
