Uladzimir Arlou: Belarus And Lithuania Will Be Together In The EU

The awareness of Belarusians and Lithuanians of a common history is a powerful weapon against the "Russian world".

"Our centuries-old common history of Lithuanians and Belarusians — European history — is our great treasure," said the famous Belarusian writer Uladzimir Arlou on March 22 in Vilnius at a creative meeting dedicated to the 106th anniversary of the proclamation of independence of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, writes Pozirk.

"The awareness of this history is a powerful weapon in the Lithuanian and Belarusian opposition to the aggressive ideology of the Russian world," he said. “This ideology seeks to convince Belarusians and Ukrainians that they are not a separate nation, that they are part of the all-Russian nation. Our heritage and our European history powerfully oppose that."

"I am very grateful to Lithuania for giving hospitable shelter to thousands and thousands of Belarusians who were forced to leave their homeland in this dramatic time for <...> modern history," Arlou said.

"I have loved Lithuania for a long time — since my student years," he said. “A lot of my I was translated a lot into Lithuanian. I am proud that I have cooperated and continue to cooperate with Lithuanian poets and historians.”

"In my opinion, March 25 [the day of the declaration of independence of the BDR in 1918. — Ed.] will definitely someday be the main public holiday in a free, independent, European Belarus, which will be together with Lithuania in the European Union," he added.