Opinions & Interviews

Belarusian Foreign Ministry responds to Western statements on presidential election anniversary

An archive photo

MINSK, 11 August (BelTA) – The press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement in response to the reaction of the European Union and some Western countries on the occasion of another anniversary of the presidential election in Belarus, BelTA has learned.

“With a series of typical statements about Belarus European bureaucrats and individual Western politicians are once again trying to draw attention to themselves by demonstrating false awareness of the Belarusian issue as well as pseudo care for those they tamed five years ago,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.

The assessments, accusations, and calls for action that have been made appear to imitate vigorous activity, have nothing in common with the real situation in Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized. “In Brussels, London, Warsaw, and other Western capitals they stubbornly refuse to see either the progressive consolidation of the Belarusian society around the idea of building a strong, independent state or Belarus’ successful development in all spheres, which is reflected in the rising prosperity of its residents and the confidence of every Belarusian in the future,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

It pointed out that for a long time Western politicians have kept a blind eye to their own systemic problems, disunity and instability in a rapidly changing world, to obvious blunt violations of democratic norms, the rule of law and human rights in the European Union itself and the countries under its control. By and large they simply ignore genuine interests of their states and their citizens.

“We see the published statements as yet another confirmation of the inconsistency and professional blindness of the European foreign policy and as a desperate attempt to justify to their own taxpayers the hundreds of millions spent on dubious projects meant to provide ‘democratic’ aid to Belarus. We call on authors of these statements to finally see the light and revise their strategy in the East, abandoning the aggressive policy of meaningless sanctions and forced ‘democratization’,” the statement reads. “It is in the common interest of the European Union and Belarus to restore fully-fledged good-neighborly relations as soon as possible, including an equal and respectful dialogue, mutually beneficial cooperation, ensure freedom of trade, transit, and the transboundary mobility of citizens in order to strengthen peace and security in the European region.”

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