Speaker of the Seimas: the farce planned in Belarus cannot be called elections

Press release, 7 January 2025 (News ● Photos ● Broadcasts and videos)

Saulius Skvernelis, Speaker of the Seimas, met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian Democratic Opposition, and her team to discuss the forthcoming elections in Belarus and Lithuania’s support for the Belarusian democratic forces.

‘The farce planned in Belarus cannot be called elections. It is merely a pseudo-election, and the public needs to know this clearly. Lithuania has supported and will continue to support the democratic forces of the Belarusian opposition. Still, your contribution as the opposition leader will also have a significant impact on the change awaited by the entire international community. We hope that the processes we expect will take place and that Belarus will become a democratic and sovereign state independent of Russia,’ the Speaker of the Seimas said at the meeting with Ms Tsikhanouskaya.

Mr Skvernelis reiterated that a democratic and free Belarus remains one of Lithuania’s most important long-term foreign policy goals.

‘We have provided and will continue to provide comprehensive support and humanitarian aid to Belarusian civil society and dissidents persecuted by Lukashenko’s regime. We remain steadfast in our commitment to defending human rights and freedoms in Belarus,’ Mr Skvernelis said. 

The representatives of the Seimas constantly raise issues related to the situation in Belarus in various international formats, including the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe and the OSCE. The Seimas has also established a Provisional Group for Friendship Relations with Democratic Forces of Belarus, consisting of nine parliamentarians.

Ramunė Muzikevičiūtė-Narmontienė, Adviser to the Speaker of the Seimas for Communication, mob. +370 611 08125, e-mail: [email protected]