Usackas: “People in Belarus should have the same rights and freedoms we have in Lithuania”
3
14:20, — Politics
The Foreign Minister of Lithuania said at a meeting with students and teachers of European Humanities University (EHU) that Lithuania is interested in Belarus to be an independent and stable state.
It was a reconnaissance visit of minister Vygaudas Usackas to European Humanities University, often referred to as the university in exile. In 2004, it was closed in Minsk on political grounds and moved to Vilnius on an invitation of the Lithuanian government in 2005, DELFI reports.
Usackas read a lecture introducing students and teachers the decisions on Eastern Partnership programme taken at the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on November 16–17 and discussed prospects for further EU–Belarus relations.
“We have changed our policy towards Belarus,” Usackas said. “My point of view is that we need to cooperate with Belarus because only through cooperation we can support people of Belarus. I believe in cooperation, personal communication, be it Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Anatol Lyabedzka or Alyaksandr Kazulin. First of all, it lies in the interests of Lithuania.
He noted that Lithuania was interested in Belarus as an independent and stable country with free market, the country that moves to establishing open democratic society.
“I am interested that people in Belarus could have the same rights and freedoms we have in Lithuania,” Usackas assured.
According to him, if Belarus wants to join the EU in future, Lithuania will be the first country to support this initiative. “I personally stand for the principle better earlier than later,” he said.
Lithuania makes its best to ensure that the issuance of Schengen visas to the citizens of Belarus would be facilitated as soon as possible, the minister said. He called the current situation with visa “discrimination”. Usackas also emphasized importance of cooperation between Lithuania and Belarus in protecting cultural and historical heritage.
Bookmarks
