Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees call on Belarusian authorities to immediately end use of force and persecution

NordenBladet — In their Joint Statement, the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland call on the Belarusian authorities to release all political prisoners as well as those illegitimately detained in recent days, and to initiate a social dialogue for the much-expected changes.

“We follow with regret the events in Belarus and the repressions against the citizens and media there during the presidential elections,” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Enn Eesmaa said. “By depriving the citizens of the right to free elections, the general standards of democracy and human rights are ignored. With colleagues, we condemn such activities and underline that we are consistently ready to support the well-being of Belarusian society as well as the sovereignty of the Belarusian state,” Eesmaa said.

The Joint Statement of the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees points out that the right of free election is a fundamental value of democracy, and freedom of speech and assembly are among the fundamental human rights. “The activities that we are observing do not fit within the democratic standards,” the Statement says.

“We are convinced that following the path of dialogue and reforms will contribute to the development of Belarus, further deepening of good-neighbourly relations between Belarus and the countries of our region, as well as the revival of fruitful relations with the European Union. We are ready to support these efforts by seeking constructive solutions for our common future,” the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees emphasise in their Joint Statement.

Full text of the Statement of the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees.

 

 


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