Lithuania will not change its policy towards Belarus unless Minsk changes its own course, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said, commenting on the new government’s programme.
“Lithuania’s interest in its relations with Belarus is to ensure security. Belarus is a source of hybrid threats and various actions directed against Lithuania. As long as Belarus continues to pursue such a policy, Lithuania will maintain a firm course. We will seek the introduction of additional sanctions (…) this is our position, and I do not see any changes here,” Budrys said on July 9 in an interview with Žinių radijas, LRT reported.
According to Budrys, Lithuania does not rule out changing its policy if Belarus changes its position.
“If those are the conditions, we will maintain this position. If the conditions change, we will act differently. But every time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submits a proposal on the necessary steps, it will explain the reasons: Lithuania needs this, this and this, and therefore we propose maintaining this position. Not because someone else wants it or because someone stubbornly insists that the sanctions should remain in place,” the Lithuanian foreign minister said.
