G. Landsbergis discussed support for the democratic society of Belarus with the Swedish minister

“Today’s announcement during the visit of Minister T. Billstrom about the strengthening policy of the Swedish government towards democratic Belarus will further contribute to the international community’s support for the Belarusian civil society to seek the democratic future of its country, freedom and the responsibility of the authoritarian regime for human rights violations,” said G. Landsbergis.

“It is symbolic that this is being done in Vilnius, which has become the regional center of fighters for freedom and democracy,” he added.

The minister emphasized that Lithuania and Sweden, together with other international partners, already support various initiatives of Belarusian civil society, especially in the areas of human rights protection and freedom of speech.

Lithuania, Sweden and the European Commission are also the biggest donors of the Belarusian European Humanitarian University in Vilnius, operating in exile.

At the meeting, G. Landsbergis also emphasized the need to continue to support Ukraine in every possible way until its victory.

“We must take advantage of the historic opportunity and invite Ukraine to the EU accession negotiations this year. EU enlargement is the best tool we have to expand the zone of stability and security in Europe,” he said.

The minister also noted that Sweden’s membership in NATO is one of the most important immediate priorities.

“Both global and regional geopolitical challenges – Russia’s war against Ukraine, hybrid threats, have brought the Baltic and Nordic countries even closer together, so we will continue to work together to strengthen the prospects for regional cooperation, especially in the area of ​​regional security,” said G. Landsbergis .

At the end of October, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially submitted Sweden’s application for ratification to the country’s parliament.

Turkey has blocked Sweden’s membership in the alliance for more than a year, arguing that Stockholm is not doing enough to fight terrorism.