Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Juozas Olekas has allowed for the possibility that relations between Vilnius and Minsk could change. He said this in an interview with LRT.
Olekas was asked to comment on a statement by presidential adviser Deividas Matulionis regarding the possible resumption of transit of Belarusian potash fertilizers after the easing of U.S. sanctions, in the event of increased U.S. military support.
“I do not want to reveal all the behind-the-scenes details of where negotiations are taking place. As you know, today in the Seimas we postponed the adoption of the resolution we had prepared in order to find opportunities to discuss various options, because we need security, we need economic growth, and this is not always achieved solely through a tough stance, but also through diplomatic channels, and that is precisely why such proposals are emerging,” he said.
When asked directly whether changes in relations between the Lithuanian and Belarusian authorities were possible, Olekas answered in the affirmative.
“Yes. We hope that first all political prisoners will be released, that our detained transport will be returned, and that is why we are conducting negotiations. First and foremost, we are negotiating at the technical level directly with Belarus, and at the political level through our allies,” he said.
At the same time, he described the question of whether Lithuania should change its policy toward Belarus as a complex one.
“This is a very difficult question. I think we should all rejoice and congratulate the people who have been released after four years of imprisonment. Tomorrow I will meet with Ales Bialiatski, and possibly with others, to discuss what we can do to make the lives of the Belarusian people easier. And, of course, this tough stance with sanctions and pressure yields certain results, but not a final one. Therefore, the language of our allies, the language of the Americans, is what is called the policy of the carrot and the stick.
We already probably have several hundred—nearly 200 can be counted—released political prisoners and prominent figures. Of course, the issue of trade has also arisen, but we are uniting, consulting, and discussing with partners and allies both at the NATO level and at the level of the European Union in order to achieve the best possible result: so that the regime does not feel like a winner, so that neither Lithuania nor democratic European states lose, and so that political prisoners can gain their freedom,” he said.
