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Vincuk Viachorka: Vilnius has to choose between political prisoners and business

Vincuk Viachorka: Vilnius has to choose between political prisoners and business

Lithuania’s presidency in the EU can influence the presence of Lithuanian capital in Belarus.

A member of the organizational committee of the Belaruski Rukh party, former chairman of the BPF Vincuk Viachorka shared such an opinion with the charter97.org web-site when commenting on the Lithuanians’ constructing a huge trade center in Minsk.

“It is clear that there is the interest of the Lithuanian party, because Belarus is bigger as compared to Lithuania and the market is more perspective. That is why Lithuanian capital will inevitably aim to get in here. Considering that people of middle and older ages still have connections left from the Soviet times, they will use these channels. If we speak about the interest of Lukashenka’s oligarchs, who are suddenly given a green light or legal support, then this trading center is not quite the right example. There are McDonald’s and Coca Cola in Belarus, although these are American enterprises”, - the politician noted.

He highlighted that Lithuania needs to decide what is more important – the observation of human rights in Belarus or business interests.

“In general, this questions should be explored very carefully. I will only say that during its presidency in the European Union Lithuania will, of course, follow the common European line. Now, by the way, Justas Paletskis’ report will be considered for the second time, and there will be significant changes in it, and Lithuania will focus on that. There is an uneasy task for the Lithuanian leadership: to balance between the longstanding economic interest to be present in a big market in the neighborhood or to stick to the European democratic values. We will see how they solve this dilemma. Apart from Paletskis, who adheres to leftist views, there are politicians in Lithuania, who went through the fight for freedom in the Soviet time. I know that these values are not an empty sound for them. The people, who stand for that, will use Lithuania’s EU presidency for strengthening such a policy line”, - Vincuk Viachorka summed up.

We would remind that for three months already Lithuanians have been building a trading center in Minsk of the size of the Akropolis hypermarket in Vilnius.

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