Belarus – Conversation between Jean-Yves Le Drian and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (Sept. 15, 2021)
Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will speak with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya this afternoon. This conversation falls within the framework of France’s regular contacts with Ms. Tikhanovskaya since the start of the political crisis in Belarus, as well as with all components of Belarusian civil society.
The minister will reaffirm France’s support for the Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations and will reiterate our country’s hope that a national dialogue can be established in Belarus leading to free and fair elections under international supervision.
In collaboration with its European partners, France has adopted four successive rounds of sanctions since August 9, 2020, in response to the brutal crackdown against Belarusian civil society, the situation of which is continuing to deteriorate. The minister will confirm France’s strong support for these measures in light of all of the actions of the Belarusian authorities in relation to the Belarusian people and the EU in the context of the recent exploitation of migrant movements.