At yesterday’s informal meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers in Berlin, Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said that the central figure in the violence and falsification in Belarus was Alexander Lukashenko.
Reinsalu said that the EU must have a strong policy towards Belarus and make sure that the measures do not harm ordinary citizens.
“An agreement is needed on sanctions targeting those responsible for falsifying the elections and for the violence in Belarus, and they must be enforced at the earliest opportunity,” Reinsalu said. “It is crucial to keep the European Union and other international organisations focused on the situation. The emphasis should be on preventing a further escalation of violence and finding a peaceful political solution, which would result in new elections.”
Reinsalu briefed the foreign ministers on the actions of Estonia and its allies at the UN Security Council discussions concerning Belarus.
He stressed the importance of supporting the civil society and free press in Belarus. “We must jointly demand for the Belarusian authorities to release the people who have been detained illegally,” Reinsalu said. “The European Union, the United States and like-minded countries should coordinate their messages on Belarus.”
The foreign ministers discussed the possible list of individuals targeted by sanctions and agreed on continuing the procedure for imposing sanctions.
Photos (German Federal Foreign Office): https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQiHkJ9
Doortstep: https://youtu.be/6l25-190zxs
Additional information:
Pia Kuusik
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Media Adviser
Communication Department
+372 5635 7866
www.vm.ee
