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On Friday, 14 August, during a working visit to Panevėžys, Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, met with Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, to discuss coordinated joint actions of Latvia and Lithuania in response to the situation in Belarus following the presidential election.

“The Belarusian people have clearly demonstrated their desire for democracy; they demand a free and fair election. It is painful to see their thirst for freedom being thwarted by brute force, using violence to suppress peaceful protesters,” said the Speaker of the Saeima, expressing solidarity with the people of Belarus who have stood up for democratic changes in their country.

Countries in the Baltic region closely follow the developments in Belarus and have already formulated a common position, releasing several joint statements. The parliaments of Latvia and Lithuania are in the process of drafting statements regarding the situation in Belarus, and they are to be reviewed by the parliaments on the same day — 18 August.

Latvia and Lithuania support the imposition of targeted sanctions on individuals responsible for the violent suppression of protests and the manipulation of election results.

Speakers Mūrniece and Pranckietis agreed that the future of Belarus is in the hands of its people, and the task of its democratic neighbours is to intensify support for civil society and independent media in Belarus, seeking new, effective solutions according to the current circumstances.

The situation in Belarus is constantly changing and developing. It is also important to keep these issues on the agenda of the European Union and use the instruments at its disposal to promote democratic change in Belarus, since it is in the interest of the EU to have a stable, democratic neighbour next to its eastern border.

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Saeima Press Service