MINSK, 2 July (BelTA) - Lithuanian politicians used to lecture Belarus on human rights, and now they are mistreating their own people, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting in the run-up to Independence Day in Minsk on 2 July, BelTA has learned.
The president said that today there is nobody to protect ordinary Europeans, who are accustomed to a comfortable life, because their politicians cannot do anything but take orders from Washington.
“That is why we, including me on your behalf, are increasingly appealing to them to live in peace and friendship. You want to come to Belarus to buy salt? You are welcome, the border is open. Nothing hampers you to do this, neither COVID restrictions, nor visa requirements. If you want brushwood (they come to buy it here), we produce enough pellets, and we will give you as much as you need. If you want to fill a car with fuel, which is three times cheaper in our country, come and fill it up,” said the president.
The president added that the Lithuanian authorities do not want to let their citizens go to Belarus. “Why did I make a decision to waive visas? Because visitors to Belarus were mostly our neighbors. Who are these people? Do you think there are no people with Belarusian roots there? There are a lot of them. These are our people. Lithuanians, Latvians, Poles have their family members buried here. We treat them as human beings. They come home and say: “Our governments are lying. Belarusians are normal, the country is normal and safe.” They started to hamper travel here for their own people. What kind of policy is this? You taught us ‘human rights', ‘freedoms'. Where are those human rights, where are those freedoms?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked.
