Гитанас Науседа. Фото: facebook.com/nausedagitanas
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said that contacts with Belarus at a certain level are possible if the Belarusian regime does not pose a threat to Lithuania. At present, he does not see signs of goodwill from Minsk.
“So far, we do not see goodwill from Belarus. I would say that opportunities for dialogue arise when the other side demonstrates goodwill toward developing, as far as possible, good-neighborly relations,” Nausėda said, as cited by BNS.
He added that dialogue with the Belarusian regime is possible if it refrains from creating threats.
“If over a certain period we see that the situation is stable and that the Belarusian regime does not pose any direct threats to Lithuania, contacts and dialogue at a certain level are possible,” he said.
Nausėda also commented on remarks by US presidential envoy John Coale regarding possible transit of Belarusian potash through Lithuania, emphasizing that sanctions on fertilizers are decided at the European Union level.
He recalled that sanctions, including those on potash, were recently extended for another year.
“They were introduced much earlier and are linked not so much to current hybrid attacks as to human rights violations, the illegitimate presidential election of 2020, and, without a doubt, Belarus’s de facto participation in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” Nausėda said.
The Lithuanian president argued that Minsk’s decision to release Lithuanian trucks cannot be considered a goodwill gesture, as they had been detained unlawfully.
He also noted that the issue of meteorological balloons crossing into Lithuania from Belarus remains unresolved.
“Unfortunately, this problem has not been resolved. In fact, it is being demonstrated in a rather telling way — immediately after the departure of the special envoy from Belarus. Under such a regime, one would have to be very bold to carry out such activities if the authorities were categorically against them. If this continues regardless, it suggests there are strong signals that the authorities not only do not object but may even encourage it to some extent,” he said.
Earlier, US envoy John Coale expressed hope for the start of dialogue between Vilnius and Minsk at the deputy foreign minister level and suggested that Belarusian potash should transit through Lithuania.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginenė said such a meeting could take place if several conditions are met, including resolving issues related to meteorological balloons and illegal migration, as well as returning trucks to Lithuania without additional fees or penalties.