Foreign minister: Latvia, like EU, does not recognize Lukashenko regime :: Charter'97 :: News

Latvia does not have a strategy of its own for building relations with Belarus, its policies are in line with the general policy of the European Union, Rihards Piks, the country’s foreign minister and a member of the European Parliament (EP), said on March 4.

He stressed that the EU, EP and other European institutions “do not recognize the Lukashenko regime,” noting Belarus’ poor human rights record, unaccounted-for disappearances of political opponents and the Belarusian leader’s totalitarian methods.

Belarusian diplomats, who attended the foreign minister’s meeting with Belarusian journalists, objected to the use of the expression “the Lukashenko regime,” suggesting that the minister should talk about relations between the two countries.

Mr. Piks, however, stressed that relations are implemented by concrete people who influence the situation in their country. “It is impossible to separate a state’s policies from politicians who put these policies into practice.”

The foreign minister added that although Latvia follows the EU’s general line, it can advance its own economic interests in relations with Belarus.

Belarusian diplomats at the meeting criticized the EU for failure to involve Belarus in the discussion of its neighborhood strategy and for alleged disregard for the Belarusian government’s successes in social policies and poverty reduction.

They blamed Latvia for violating rights of non-citizens, including those of more than 60,000 ethnic Belarusians.

The diplomats expressed regret that the Latvian authorities failed to reply for three months to Belarus’ proposal to sign an accord against crime and illegal migration.