Latvia will allocate 150,000 euros to Belarusian civil society / Article / LSM.lv

Latvia will provide 150,000 euros to Belarusian civil societyRihards Plūme00:00 / 03:18

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At a press conference after the extraordinary government meeting, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (“New Unity”) said that the Latvian government supported the expressed desire of the Belarusian society to live in a democratic and independent country.

Commenting on the allocation of money, Rinkēvičs said that the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will meet with non-governmental organizations related to Belarus. During the meeting, the directions of possible projects related to the allocation of funding will be discussed.

“One of the directions is the provision of legal aid to those in various statuses in administrative or criminal proceedings, as well as support for the media.

But, of course, this is an open issue for discussion with our representatives tomorrow, “said the Minister.

He also recalled the steps taken by the European Union, namely the agreement in principle to initiate the process of imposing individual sanctions. Rinkēvičs emphasized the need for close coordination of actions regarding the situation in Belarus. Such coordination also takes place regionally, both between the Baltic States and Poland, and between the Baltic States and the Visegrad countries. The Minister also explained that in connection with the statements made by President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday and the violence against two detained Latvian nationals, the Ambassador of Belarus was summoned to the Ministry on Monday.

“It is due to absolutely unfounded insults that these protests are in some way being led from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and that we are preparing a military attack. We will ask for this to be explained. Let us also protest against the treatment of two citizens who were detained in Belarus last week.

We also have reports of violence from the authorities.

So there is work at the diplomatic and political level as well, as this situation is currently developing, ”said Rinkēvičs.

The Minister added that the responsible services were heard at the government meeting in connection with security and there is a specific agreement on a specific plan, scenario in case of any situation development. Rinkēvičs mentioned that Latvia is ready to receive political asylum seekers, but currently a large flow of refugees is not forecasted. So far, Latvia has not received any applications for political asylum from Belarusian citizens. True, this may change depending on the development of the situation.

“The services are ready, the home affairs system knows what to do, it has a plan, and it will act if necessary.

But it is in our interests to do everything politically and diplomatically so that this situation does not happen until then and the changes in Belarus are peaceful, ”Rinkēvičs pointed out.

Kariņš also emphasized that the situation in Belarus is very dynamic and it can develop in different ways. The government is actively following it. On Monday, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima also considered a draft decision on the situation in Belarus. It is expected that the Saeima will decide on this at an extraordinary sitting on Tuesday. It is expected that the parliament will call for the holding of the presidential elections in Belarus to be held again and in accordance with internationally recognized standards, allowing the opposition to participate on an equal footing.

CONTEXT:

In Belarus, people are protesting against the results of last week’s presidential election. According to the information provided by the Central Election Commission of Belarus, long-term president Alexander Lukashenko won 80.1% of the vote, but opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovska – 10.1%.

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