Germany and France Urged to Release All Political Prisoners and Hold New Presidential Elections in Belarus
- 1.06.2021, 14:55
The two leading EU countries have adopted a joint statement.
Germany and France strongly condemn the hijacking of the Ryanair plane to Minsk by the Belarusian regime on May 23, 2021, and demand the immediate release of Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega who were flying on it. This is stated in a statement adopted following the May 31 meeting of the Council of Ministers of the two countries with the participation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“We welcome the quick and decisive response from the European Council,” the statement said.
“As for the political situation in Belarus, we reaffirm our demand to allow early presidential elections, release all political prisoners and put an end to the use of violence against the Belarusian people,” the German and French governments emphasize.
At a press conference following the meeting, Angela Merkel praised the European Council's quick reaction to the Ryanair situation: “It was very, very good that the European Council announced its measures very quickly and very decisively. They are correct, they are necessary - the events are regrettable. And this (imposition of sanctions - ed.) is not hindered by the meeting between President Lukashenka and President Putin in Sochi."
“We condemn in the strongest terms, of course, what Lukashenka is doing with his civil society and the opposition. This is in no way consistent with our standards and our way of looking at things. We will now introduce our sanctions very purposefully,” Merkel said.
Emmanuel Macron said that he joins the opinion of the Chancellor.
When asked whether the format of negotiations on resolving the situation in southeastern Ukraine in the Normandy format would be changed due to the events in Belarus, the German Chancellor and the French President expressed the opinion that these are not interrelated things. “We need to continue to work in the Normandy format, although there is very little progress,” Merkel said.
Earlier, representatives of Kyiv have repeatedly stated the need to move the negotiating platform from Minsk to another country.