Two weeks before the presidential elections in Belarus, the Foreign Minister of a neighboring country arrived in Latvia. He met Edgars Rinkēvičs (JV) at the border between the two countries. Good relations have developed between Riga and Minsk, but they threaten to undermine Alexander Lukashenko’s regime’s opposition to the opposition and its supporters.
Latvia and Belarus have close diplomatic relations. The foreign ministers of both countries meet regularly. This time the talks took place in a symbolic place – Silene, which is halfway between Riga and Minsk.
For Vladimir Matvey, this is the first foreign visit since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. Although Covid-19 has to spend 14 days in solitary confinement in Latvia due to the high incidence of Covid-19, government regulations do not apply to guests invited by senior officials.
In the picturesque place, the meeting was held in an informal atmosphere, without ties and masks. And the conversation, described by both ministers as open, was about twice as long as planned.
It took place two weeks before the presidential election in Belarus, which has increased tensions in the neighboring country. Many dozens of protesters have been arrested, but the two most popular opposition candidates have been barred from running in the elections. In Latvia and in the European Union as a whole, this has caused serious concerns, which Edgars Rinkēvičs also expressed to his colleagues today.
“Some candidates are currently in prison. Of course, each case must be assessed here, but it is one. Secondly, the repressions that are being carried out from time to time against protesters, as well as against certain opposition political forces and candidates, ”the Latvian Foreign Minister emphasized.
Matvey responds by emphasizing that the authorities act in accordance with the law and take care of the stability of the country.
“The entire state power structure in Belarus is committed to ensuring that the preparations for and conduct of the elections are in strict accordance with the law and respect for human rights. But the Belarussian government will not allow the situation in society and the country to be artificially destabilized. You know, if the bet is the fate of the country or some things related to human rights, no matter how cynical it may sound, you have to think about how to save the country, “said Vladimir Matvey, the Foreign Minister of Belarus.
At the same time, he points out that Belarus has a genuine interest in maintaining good relations with the European Union. “I am convinced that when the presidential elections in Belarus end, the current trend will continue. We are interested in the European Union continuing to be an important trade and political partner, “the Belarusian Foreign Minister emphasized.
Meanwhile, Latvia will continue to follow closely the developments before the August 9 elections, in which the current President Alexander Lukashenko and four other candidates will run, but they are not considered serious competitors.
No election in Belarus has been declared free and fair by international observers since 1995. For many Belarusians, Lukashenko is the only president they have ever experienced in his life. He has been in power for 26 years and now claims to hold the post for at least another five years.
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