Belgium has made the decision to join the group of friends of democratic Belarus in the OSCE. This group comprises over 10 partner countries that support the democratic forces in Belarus. The announcement was made by Jeroen Kurman, the Director General of the Belgian Foreign Ministry, during a working meeting with Pavel Latushka, the deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus and the head of the NAM, at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The primary focus of the meeting was the implementation of a strategy to provide support to Belarusian society, including backing independent media and promoting the national identity of Belarusians.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the accountability of the Lukashenko regime for the committed crimes, including Belgium's support and that of international organizations in advocating for issues of Lukashenko's responsibility within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
Separately, the responsibility of Lukashenko for war crimes related to the unlawful movement of Ukrainian children was also addressed. The functioning of democratic institutions in Belarus and the support they receive from the Belgian Foreign Ministry were also topics of discussion.
Belgium currently holds the presidency of the European Union, with one of its priorities being the adoption of a collective decision on the coordination of sanctions against the Lukashenko regime and the Russian Federation in response to their aggression against Ukraine. Special attention was given to the imposition of sanctions for the utilization of forced labor by political prisoners in Belarusian prisons within the realm of sanctions.
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