On 14 August 2020, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, took place in the video conference of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council, which was convened to share views on developments in Belarus after presidential elections and to address the recent actions by Turkey and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Foreign Affairs Council held a discussion on a possible response by the EU to the situation in Belarus. Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed concern that the 9 August presidential elections in Belarus had not ensured the citizens’ rights to free, fair and democratic elections. The Minister underlined that Latvia strongly condemns the unjustified use of force by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters and members of the mass media. Latvia calls for an immediate release of the detained protesters and members of the media and for engaging in a dialogue with the opposition and civil society.
The Latvian Foreign Minister urged the EU to expand its support for the civil society in Belarus making use of all the instruments available. The Minister also said that Latvia supports restrictive measures against persons responsible for the crackdown on protests and for electoral violations.
The proposals to render broad assistance for the Belarusian civil society and the need to develop and implement personalised sanctions received support from all EU foreign ministers.
The Foreign Affairs Council also addressed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean in light of Turkey’s recent natural resource exploration activities that have escalated tension in the region. The topic had been included in the Council’s agenda on the initiative of Greece.