The other day, Deputy Head of the Cabinet, Head of the NAM Pavel Latushka held a bilateral meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Simonas Satunas.
"We will continue to work with the Lithuanian government to increase sanctions pressure on Lukashenko's regime until the regime stops repression, releases all political prisoners, stops the migration war on the border with the European Union, and stops supporting Russia in its aggression against Ukraine", — Pavel Latushka noted after the meeting.
Pavel Latushka informed the deputy minister about:
the main goal of the work of the National Anti-Crisis Management: using the existing international legal mechanisms, to bring the dictator Lukashenko and his accomplices to accountability for crimes against humanity against the Belarusian people and other international crimes;
lack of conditions for conducting competitive and transparent elections in Belarus in 2025. Simonas Satunas noted that if the so-called "elections" in Belarus take place in the same manner as the preparations for them, Lukashenko's regime can expect the next stage of sanctions.
Due to the fact that Simonas Satunas is responsible for sanctions policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, special attention was paid to sanctions issues at the meeting. Pavel Latushka emphasized that the existing "gaps" between the two dictatorial regimes allow Lukashenko to receive the products necessary to support Russian aggression in Ukraine. The issue of increased control over the implementation of already imposed sanctions and the need for an integrated approach to this issue to prevent the circumvention of sanctions restrictions was also discussed. Simonas Satunas noted that he is in favor of further harmonization of sanctions against Lukashenko's regime and Russia.
Pavel Latushka drew the special attention of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania to the ongoing repressions in Belarus. Every day, the regime continues its politically motivated persecution. Dozens of new political prisoners are jailed every month. Arrests of Belarusians returning from abroad continue. Those who provide assistance to political prisoners also fall under repression.
In connection with the fact that the team of the NAM sent a request to the Finance Minister of Lithuania regarding Belarusian cars "stuck" in the port of Klaipeda, the deputy minister presented the position of the Lithuanian side on this issue. The issue of the ban on the entry of vehicles with Belarusian registration into the territory of Lithuania was also touched upon.
"The substantive dialogue with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania demonstrates the coincidence of the positions of the United Transitional Cabinet and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania on fundamental issues of further policy towards the Lukashenko’s regime. During the meeting, they noted not only the importance of sanctions pressure on the Lukashenko’s regime, but also the need for international cooperation in the protection of human rights and democratic principles, as well as the need for separation between the Lukashenko’s regime and Belarusians who oppos war and dictatorship", — Pavel Latushka said.
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