Belarus - Q&A from the press briefing (31 August 2020)

Q: Representatives of Alexander Lukashenko’s opponent, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, announced that she would be addressing the UN Security Council on September 4 and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on September 8.

Did France encourage Ms. Tikhanovskaya to address the Security Council and the Parliamentary Assembly? In what capacity will she be introduced?

A: Yesterday Jean-Yves Le Drian reiterated the urgent need to establish an inclusive national dialogue in Belarus to arrive at a peaceful solution.

In this regard, he has already expressed France’s solidarity with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and her movement to defend the democratic and humanist values we share. That was also the message conveyed by the Minister of State for European Affairs during his telephone conversation with Ms. Tikhanovskaya last week.

The Security Council meeting you mention on September 4 is an informal Arria-formula meeting. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is an independent parliamentary body. I refer you to its organizers.