Foreign ministers of ‘Lublin Triangle’ call on Belarusian authorities to refrain from using force

According to the Foreign Ministry’s press service, the statement was made by the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, Linas Linkevičius, Jacek Czaputowicz and Dmytro Kuleba.

“Respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, including democracy and rule of law, is essential for further development of independent and sovereign Belarus, which we fully support. We are confident that only by means of dialogue the current situation can be resolved for the benefit of the people and the state of Belarus,” the statement says.

The diplomats noted that, if necessary, they are open for any assistance or good offices in facilitating this dialogue.

The foreign ministers of the "Lublin Triangle" stressed that the well-being and prosperity of Belarus and its people are important for the entire Europe and specifically their region.

“We are all interested in continuing mutually beneficial dialogue as well as cooperation based upon democratic values and focused on creating conditions for a common and stable future,” the ministers stressed.

As reported, on August 9, presidential elections were held in Belarus.

According to the preliminary results announced by the CEC, incumbent Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko gained 80.23% of the vote, while the opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, had 9.9%. She did not recognize the results and announced her readiness for long-term protests throughout Belarus.

The announcement came after police broke up crowds of protesters with stun grenades and rubber bullets in Minsk and other cities on Sunday evening after an exit poll showed Lukashenko winning an overwhelming victory.

Tikhanovskaya left Belarus and is safe in Lithuania.

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