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MINSK, 22 January (BelTA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus has obtained a pre-prepared EU statement on the outcomes of Belarus' presidential election, MFA representative Anatoly Glaz told journalists at a briefing, BelTA reports.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has obtained a statement that the European External Action Service (EEAS) plans to issue after our election. This statement is based, among other things, on a European Parliament draft resolution that has not been passed yet. The election in Belarus has just begun, but the document has already condemned everything and recognized nothing,” said Anatoly Glaz.
The statement claims that restrictions on the access of independent media to Belarus seriously undermine the legitimacy of the electoral process. It also claims that Belarus' election does not meet the necessary standards for democratic elections.
“We have been seeing false statements from the very beginning. That said, we have accredited about 330 foreign journalists to cover the election. They represent the world's leading media outlets, including independent ones, from 23 countries,” the diplomat noted.
In addition, the statement contains insinuations regarding the invitation of OSCE/ODIHR observers to monitor the election.
“Just in case, we want to remind you that we sent an invitation to the bureau. ODIHR itself confirmed it on 17 January. And they still can come,” Anatoly Glaz emphasized.
At the same time, decisions of OSCE/ODIHR are not of fundamental importance for the Belarusian side, since more than 450 international observers from 49 countries have already been accredited to monitor the election. Delegations of leading international organizations, including the CIS IPA, the CSTO PA, the SCO and the CICA, will be present at the election.
“The statement contained a traditional set of clichés about the EU's support for democratic rights and fundamental freedoms. This is pure hypocrisy against the backdrop of the illegal sanctions that the European Union imposed on ordinary Belarusians. EU countries are restricting their freedom of movement, financial, economic, civil and other rights. It bears underscoring that unilateral coercive measures directly violate international law and run afoul of the commitments of EU member states within the framework of international and regional organizations, such as the UN and the OSCE,” the MFA representative said.
According to him, if such a statement by the EEAS is passed, it will become another testimony of the deliberate interference of the European Union in the internal affairs of other countries and an attempt to cover up and legitimize its criminal actions against Belarus.
“This is unacceptable for sovereign Belarus. Belarus will push back,” warned Anatoly Glaz. “The EEAS statement shows that European diplomacy has once again admitted its impotence, while Belarus is ready to find solutions to specific challenges, including, cross-border issues,” he added.
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