Four EU foreign ministers back emergency EU meeting on Belarus

The foreign ministers of Latvia, Estonia. Finland and Poland on August 11 said they backed calling an emergency video meeting of the European Union’s (EU) council of foreign ministers to discuss the crackdown on peaceful demonstrators and the political crisis in Belarus following disputed presidential election on August 9.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevičs, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz met for a previously planned event to commemorate 100 years since Latvia signed a peace treaty with Soviet Russia, but their remarks to media quickly turned to the situation in Belarus.

Pushed to the background by events — original seals and signatures of the Peace Treaty of 1920 signed in Riga between the Republic of Latvia and Soviet Russia. The document was displayed in the lobby of the Latvian Foreign Ministry where it was signed on August 11, 1920. (Photo by Juris Kaža)

Rinkevičs said he backed the proposal by the Polish Foreign Minister to call an urgent video meeting of the EU foreign ministers’ council and Reinsalu would later on Tuesday speak to Josep Borell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and present the four minister’s proposal for a council meeting on Belarus.

The four ministers were, at the same time, in general agreement that political dialogue was still possible between the demonstrators against President Alexander Lukashenko’s allegedly fraudulent re-election on Sunday and the government of Belarus.