Bildt: Swedish authorities are not related to the “teddy bear invasion”

The Swedish authorities are not related to the “teddy bear invasion” of the Swedish PR agency Studio Total

The head of the Foreign Ministry of Sweden Carl Bildt stated it during the press conference in Vilnius on September 4th. “We have nothing to do with it – we didn’t permit it not did we prohibited it,” he said.

“As far as I understand, there is an independent legal investigation being conducted, and I leave that to the legal authorities – this is the position of our countries,” stated the Minister.

At that, while answering the question whether it will change the relations between the EU and Belarus, Carl Bildt said that the EU’s position in regard with Minsk is formed by the changes happened in the country for the last two years. “It all started after the presidential elections in 2010, and the fact that it is a European country with the political prisoners is absolutely unacceptable,” underlined the Minister.

The head of the Swedish Foreign Ministry also added that “we are making efforts to support democratic forces (in Belarus), we are trying to interfere and to strive for the release of the political prisoners and for establishing acceptable conditions for the upcoming parliamentary elections.”

At the same time, the head of the Foreign Ministry of Lithuania Audronius Ažubalis stated that they should wait for the result of the investigation of the “teddy bear invasion”, and “only afterwards we will be able to comment.”

According to Carl Bildt, a month after the “teddy bear invasion” Belarusian authorities deported the Swedish ambassador because of his support of the democratic community in the country. Responding to that, Belarus’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh stated, that Belarus did not deport Stefan Eriksson. “A decision was made not to prolong his accreditation,” he said.

On August 8th the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus decided to recall the embassy in Sweden and to return all the employees to Belarus. At the same time the Swedish party was suggested to recall its embassy from Belarus before August 30, 2012. Following that, the EU announced its intention to reduce political contacts with Belarus.