Romania, Poland, Lithuania sign joint statement in support for Belarus

The Presidents of Romania, Poland and Lithuania have signed a joint statement on the situation of Belarus , the Romanian Presidential Administration has announced on Monday. The three Presidents endorse the idea of a democratic path for Belarus, while voicing their availability to provide the authorities in Minsk with the know-how for initiating some political and economic reforms.

“Statement of the Presidents of Lithuania, Poland, Romania: Our Offer to the Democratic Belarus

We, Presidents of Lithuania, Poland, Romania, as Members of the European Union:

• standing firmly for freedom and the advancement of democratic principles,
• stressing that free, fair and transparent elections are the fundamental democratic right of any nation,
• recognizing the results of elections as legitimate only if carried out in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and subject to international election observation,
• acknowledging explicitly that nobody else but the People of Belarus have the ultimate right to decide the destiny of their country,
• reassuring our respect to any such decision made on legitimate grounds,
• understanding that a prosperous Belarus built on social trust and common vision is a precondition for a more stable and secure Europe,

Declare the will to stand together with the People of Belarus in building a democratic path, via democratically elected state leadership, a free civil society, market economy and the rule of law;

Offer our expertise and know-how along the path of political and economic reforms, building independent institutions and safeguarding the environment, where respect for human rights and the freedom of speech would be an unshakable fundamental norm of society;

We believe that in supporting the People of Belarus, the European Union – as a major global economic power – should extend a package of assistance for the democratic Belarus’ economic transformation. The package should encompass, inter alia:

• facilitation of trade with the EU and assistance in WTO accession negotiations;
• visa-free regime when the necessary conditions are in place;
• assistance for the diversification of the energy sector and Belarus’ energy security;
• access to financial resources for the restructuring and kick-starting the Belarus liberal economy;
• increasing International Financial Institutions’ presence and activity in reforming the economy and boosting investments,

We call on the International Community to join the European Union and its Member States in preparing a positive agenda for Belarus together with a support package for the political, economic and societal transition of the country.”

Early this month, Romania’s ambassador in Minsk joined the ‘guard squad’ at the house of Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, the last leader of the Belarusian opposition still free.

Romanian FM Bogdan Aurescu announced on Twitter at the end of August that Romania will allot EUR 100,000 to endorse the civil society and independent mass media in Belarus amid existing protests.

Belarus has been in the middle of massive rallies since the recent presidential elections that the authoritarian leader Aleksander Lukashenko has won by 80% of the votes.