Lithuanian Foreign Ministry: Sanctions against Belarusian authorities to be lifted if no political prisoners left

Europe will lift its sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime only after achieving a considerable progress in the sphere of human rights protection and after political prisoners released.

Such a statement has been made in Vilnius today by Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Lithuania Andrius Krivas. He visited Minsk on February 4, where he held talks with his colleague, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Belarus Alena Kupchyna, Radio Svaboda informs.

The Lithuanian diplomat also stated that his country gives a high estimate to the position of Belarus in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the decision of Minsk not to join the sanctions imposed by Russia against the European Union countries.

As said by Andrius Krivas, at the Eastern Partnership summit which is to be held in Riga on May 21-22, Belarus could initial the agreement with the European Union on facilitating the visa regime and re-admission.

Touching upon the issue of the presidential election in Belarus, which is to take place not later than November 2015, the Lithuanian diplomat noted “the necessity of transparent organizing the pre-election process and the electoral campaign with invitation of international mechanisms of observation.”