Emanuelis Zingeris: Lukashenka’s confidants try to influence EU politics

For that, they are trying to establish good relations with Lithuania’s major banks.

Information that Belarusian oligarchs and authorities buy real estate in Vilnius has recently appeared in the media. In this regard, charter97.org interviewed head of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Lithuanian Seim and vice-president of the PACE Emanuelis Zingeris. He reminded that the Belarusian dictator’s confidants follow the example of their colleagues from other authoritarian states. For example, Russian oligarchs buy real estate on Cyprus and in Western Europe, and send their children to study in the world’s leading universities.

“For some reason, Lukashenka’s entourage doesn’t invest in North Korea or Venezuela, who are supposed to be their friends. They want to purchase property protected by the EU laws, they want their children to study in European universities. They don’t trust the system that they have created, that is why they don’t invest their money in it,” the politician said.

Emanuelis Zingeris pointed to the following fact: both Yury Chyzh, banned from entering the EU, and Aliaksandar Shakutsin, who can be included to the ”black list” if the sanctions against the Belarusian regime are intensified, are among the buyers of property.

“Oligarchs and authorities who cannot enter the European Union can still buy real estate here, for example, using dummies. But they still cannot cross the border until the visa restrictions are removed,” Emanuelis Zingeris emphasized.

Furthermore, he commented on the relations between Belarusian oligarchs and Lithuanian business. Zingeris suggested that this way Lukashenka’s confidants try to influence the EU politics. However, he is convinced that all such attempts are meaningless.

”No doubt, they are looking for contacts to try to press the European Union’s political system. And to accomplish this goal, they are trying to use Lithuania, where parliamentary elections are going to take place soon.

They follow the example of Gazprom that ensured Schroeder’s lobbying of their interests. While their children study in Oxford and Princeton, they are torturing their opponents in KGB cellars making them tell about their connections with the European Parliaments – this has happened, for example, during interrogations of charter97.org editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina.

Dictators arrange a paradise for themselves, while they use Yezhov’s methods in their countries, on the one hand, and try to influence the politics of democratic countries, on the other.

Let’s hope that Lukashenka will never get such an opportunity,” Emanuelis Zingeris pointed out.

We remind that the Lithuanian TV3 had informed that Lukashenka’s entourage buy expensive properties in Vilnius. A number of well-known people are named among possible buyers: prime-minister Mikhail Miasnikovich, former foreign minister Siargiei Martynau, oligarchs that finance the regime – Aliaksandar Shakutsin and Yury Chyzh.

According to the TV3’s sources, the Belarusian oligarchs don’t waste their time in Vilnius: they hang out with Lithuanian millionaires Augustinas and Arturas Rakauskas, Tautvidas Barshtis.