On 9 August 2021 in Vilnius, the Ambassador of Latvia to Belarus, Einars Semanis, met with the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
The Ambassador has arrived in Vilnius in order to, while looking back at the fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus, express Latvia’s support for the Belarusian people in their fight for a democratic and fair society that respects human rights and democratic freedoms. During the meeting, Einars Semanis noted that the Belarusian people’s courage, trust in the ideals of freedom, and hope is admired in Latvia. The Ambassador expressed indignation at the regime’s repression of civil society and independent media. A special concern is caused by the hijacking of a European aircraft effected by the Belarusian regime and its deliberate activities to direct the flow of illegal migration to the border of Belarus with Lithuania.
Einars Semanis underlined that Latvia will continue consistently supporting the democratic movement in Belarus in its fight for an inclusive national dialogue, new presidential elections, the release of all political prisoners, ceasing repression, and respect for human rights. The Ambassador underlined that it is only the Belarusian people themselves who will decide their future destiny.
Sviyatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Latvia for its solidarity and support for the Belarusian people and she called for continued assistance to civil society, free media and human rights defenders in Belarus. The leader of the Belarusian democratic movement noted that support for the democratic movement in international organisations, such as the UN and the OSCE, is to be greatly appreciated. Sviyatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed special gratitude to Latvia’s civil organisations for practical, medical, legal and psychological assistance to the victims of repression.
Ambassador Semanis met with Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya and her office staff together with his colleagues from Brussels and Warsaw: the Head of the EU Delegation to Belarus, Ambassador Dirk Schuebel, who, at the end of June, was ordered by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to return to Brussels for consultations; and the Ambassador of Poland to Belarus, Artur Michalski, who is working in Warsaw now, having left for Poland on the demand of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry last October.
The Ambassadors also had meetings with the Member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Lithuania, Andrius Kubilius, and advisors to the Lithuanian President and Prime Minister.
In the evening, the ambassadors have been invited to a reception hosted by the Vilnius City Council.