BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg, during a conversation with Lukashenko, noted that the EU does not recognize him as the legitimate president of Belarus. He asked the politician how Merkel addresses him during negotiations.
“Why do you care? Mister President in Belarus – he’s Mister Lukashenka… Listen, I don’t care what you think of the President of Belarus in the European Union. I was not elected by the European Union. You don’t recognize me for a quarter of a century… I am elected by the Belarusian people. Therefore, it is important for me how my people perceive me, ”Lukashenka said nervously.
Rosenberg repeated his question several times, Lukashenka’s answer separately published Telegram-channel “Pool of the First”, it is not in the full version of the BBC interview.
“As for how she addressed me, I, of course, can tell you that, it will not suit you. Take the transcript from the Germans and see how she addressed me. chancellor, “Lukashenka stressed.
Merkel 15th and on November 17 held telephone conversations with Lukashenka due to the migration crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border. They agreed that the problem of illegal migrants “in general submitted to the level of the EU and Belarus“. According to media reports, Lukashenka, in particular, asked Merkel lift EU sanctions against Belarusand also recognize him as the president of the republic.
In a message on the website of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on November 15, Lukashenko are called by name and surname, as well as “Mr. Lukashenko”. V news about the conversation of November 17 – “Alexander Lukashenko”.
In Belarus, on August 9, 2020, presidential elections were held, after which mass protests of those who did not agree with the voting results began. According to official figures, the victory in them was won by Lukashenka, who has been in power since 1994, for which 80.1% of voters voted. The second place with 10.1% of the votes was taken by the oppositionist Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. At the same time, alternative exit polls showed the opposite picture – a confident victory for Tikhanovskaya.
The opposition insists on holding new elections in Belarus. Lukashenka said that first, the country needs to change the constitution (the draft of the new constitution, according to him, will present in 2021), and only after that hold new elections.
The Belarusian security forces violently dispersed the rallies, using stun grenades, rubber bullets and water cannons… During the protests, hundreds of demonstrators were injured and injured. According to the human rights center “Viasna”, since August in the country detained more than 25 thousand people, in total they received 83 thousand days of arrest. The authorities announced four dead protesters, opposition – about eight.
On September 23, Lukashenko held a secret inauguration ceremony, for the first time in the history of Belarus. not announced and not televised… A number of states, including the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Ukraine and Czech Republic, did not recognize Lukashenka’s inauguration.
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