On Friday, 12 November, the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees and European Affairs Committees of several European countries sent a joint letter to the leaders of EU and NATO institutions, strongly condemning the ongoing hybrid attacks by the Lukashenko regime at the eastern borders of the EU and NATO.
In the letter addressed to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the MPs emphasised that Lukashenko has been instrumental in creating an artificial migration route and cynically exploiting migrants in his attempts to destabilise Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and the entire European Union in order to force the EU to lift the sanctions imposed on his regime.
“The regime in Belarus is weaponising people to destabilise their neighbours and the entire EU. There is a need for a systemic, coordinated response to prevent a third party—be it a country or supra‑national groups—from being able to make use of the EU’s migration and asylum system to exert pressure and blackmail the EU and its Member States,” noted Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima, underlining the need for strengthening the EU’s resilience against hybrid threats and developing proper regulation for the current reality and challenges.
Vita Anda Tērauda, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima, stated that Latvia strongly condemns the ongoing hybrid attacks by the Lukashenko regime at the borders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland with Belarus. “Using third country migrants to achieve one’s political goals is completely unacceptable, unethical, and inhumane. We call on international organisations to examine the accountability of Alexander Lukashenko and his regime regarding the instrumentalisation of vulnerable and desperate migrants by making them illegally cross the external border of the EU with the brutal use of force, aggression, and weaponry,” expressed Tērauda and stressed that such actions call for a joint response of the EU Member States and international organisations.
In the letter, the Chairs of the relevant parliamentary committees acknowledge the efforts of the European Commission to find solutions to the migration crisis. At the same time, the MPs underline the importance of swift adaptation of the EU legal framework and developing tools, sustained by adequate financial support, to ensure a solid response to counter the instrumentalisation of illegal migration and other hybrid threats.
The authors of the letter call for sanctions on all Belarusian airports and ask that Belarus be declared a no‑fly zone, and, accordingly, for sanctions on all international airlines that breach this ban. Furthermore, the committee chairs urge an investigation into whether and to what extent third countries are involved in supporting the Lukashenko regime’s illegal activities.
The MPs call for an international trial to convict Alexander Lukashenko and representatives of his regime for the crimes committed against the people of Belarus on a massive scale.
As emphasised in the letter, there is a need for economic and diplomatic efforts on the part of the EU to reign in any attempts against the bloc, and there is an urgent need for the development of countermeasures to deter future provocations or attempts to sow distrust and discord among the EU Member States.
The letter was signed by Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima, Vita Anda Tērauda, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima, and Chairs of the respective committees of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania. The letter was also signed by Chairs of the European Affairs Committees or Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, France, Poland, Germany, the UK, and Ireland, as well as the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament.
In addition, today, the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly (BA) sent a letter to the Presidents of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council, expressing grave concern for the hybrid attacks by the Lukashenko regime against Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and the entire EU. The letter was also signed by Jānis Vucāns, President of the BA and head of the Latvian delegation to the BA.
As underlined in the letter, the actions of the Lukashenko regime expose the need for a different EU approach to migration. The situation near the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Polish borders show a need for a greater solidarity among European countries and a common understanding among the EU Member States about commitments, goals, and approach to tackling this common threat, which has already got out of hand, as the regime in Belarus disrespects the international community and is willing to use human lives to achieve its aims.
In the letter, the Presidium of the BA calls on the EU Member States to make a strong and clear stand regarding a possible joint response to the provocations by the Lukashenko regime or Russia. The BA also calls for specific actions at the EU level to ensure all the necessary support for Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland in protecting the external borders of the EU.
Saeima Press Service