Balkan countries see the crisis in Belarus differently: Kosovo backs Western measures

The Western Balkan countries do not have a common attitude towards the situation in Belarus and the daily protests, in which Alyaxander Lucasanca's resignation, the repetition of contested elections for president, in which he has received the sixth mandate, as well as the break of violence against demonstrators.

Kosovo “condemns the violence exercised by authorities in Belarus” and has joined the Allies' call for the parties to discuss peaceful exits.

Taking into account traditionally good relations with Belarus authorities, authorities in Serbia are currently silent, while since Bosnia and Herzegovina, the presidency member of this country, Milorad Dodik, has congratulated Lucas on the new “election for president of Belarus”.

Northern Macedonia, which has backed the sanctions warned by the EU against Belarus due to violent crackdown on protests, while Montenegro has issued orders that they are conveying with concern the development of the situation.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora in Kosovo in a pronomation for The REL, says it supports the position and measures of Western allies in front of Belarus, at the same time wishes that the Belarusian people embrace the prosperative, European and democratic values.

Kosovo's “Republic is carefully conveying the latest developments in Belarus”.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of the Republic of Kosovo condemns the violence exercised by authorities to suppress popular protests led by the Belarusian opposition”.

Kosovo's “Republic joins the Allies' call for the parties to discuss peaceful exits from the crisis that brought the August 9th” elections, added in this statement.

Otherwise, Belarus does not recognise Kosovo's independence.

Serbia's ties, friendly co-operation with Belarus

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia has not answered Radio Free Europe's question about Belgrade's official position regarding developments in Belarus.

Although, after elections in one state, congratulations are always sent to the election winner, Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, so far has not congratulated Lucas on the controversial election victory.

Regarding the protests in the capital of Belarus, Minsk and other cities, Serbia's Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin has spoken only in the context of exposing information from social networks that Serbia's soldiers are participating in demonstrations in Belarus.

Photos featuring the alleged presence of Serbian soldiers in Minsk and the town of Belarus Brest have published on 15 August to analyst from Belarus, Frannak Vyachorka, stressing that this could mean that they have participated in the protests, which have been held in Belarus for several days.

Volin, the same day, in the communiqué, has stressed that the particular photos were taken in 2018 during joint military and police exercises in Kraleva, Serbia.

“Actually, in Belarus, there are nine of our members in Brest, isolated in a military range, where they are preparing for the discipline of the sniper's cerfius”, Vulin stressed.

It is a contest in Belarus, within the framework of the international military games under Russia's umbrella, in which Serbia's Army snipers also participate.

Serbia and Belarus have traditionally good relations, meanwhile, Lucashenka has been in Belgrade for the last time in December 2019.

Several bilateral agreements were then signed, while relations between the two states have been deemed quite excellent, sincere and friendly, with “the gratitude of the Serbian authorities for the fact that Belarus has not recognised Kosovo.

Lukashenka, at a joint conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq, has said that Serbian peoples and Belarus are “coupled with centuries-old ties and with common visions of the future”.

“We view world developments similar and support Serbia's territorial integrity. If we can help, let us know. We count on Serbia's support for principled issues for us”, Lucashenka said on December 3rd, 2019 in Belgrade.

The presidents of Belarus and Serbia, Lucashenka and Vuciq, had previously met in Minsk in June 2019. Vuciki had then thanked Lucashenkan for the donation of four MIIG-29 used, as well as low prices for their regulation, and warned of advancing the co-operation of the two states in the field of defence.

Belarus has donated four used aircraft to Serbia MIGA-29, who were introduced in Belarus in February 2019. However, the details of this donation are not known to the public, because contracts for donations to military equipment, Serbia's Defence Ministry has marked them as “secretive”.

Since 2015, Serbia has been participating in the joint military exercises of Russia and Belarus “Slavic Brotherhood” and twice has been a host of these exercises (in 2016 and 2019).

While Serbian officials have not issued any statements, nongovernmental organisations designated in Serbia have supported demonstrators in Belarus.

With the photo “standing near Belarus”, the Centre for Human Rights in Belgrade, in its account in the Instagram has published the message “With support, war and youth strength. To truth, goodness and true values”

Bojan Stojanovic of this nongovernmental organisation has told Radio Free Europe since it comes to the gross violation of human rights, any serious government would have to be careful about maintaining relations, responsible for distance from such works”.

“The approach of Serbia's authorities in relation to Lucashenkan is not irrational given multi-year co-operation and mutual support and understanding, especially given that Serbia's diplomacy is well based on being careful not to criticize the countries supporting Serbia's policy towards Kosovo”, Stojanovic stressed.

Young human rights initiative activists and activists have expressed support for demonstrators by throwing flowers before the entrance of the Belgrade Embassy of Belarus. On August 14th, they have ordered that “has no friendship with the president of that country, Lucashencan”, which, as they said, “is sacrificing citizens' lives and freedoms in order to always survive power”.

By President (Vuchic) and Serbian Prime Minister Anna Brnabiq) %Y The IHR has called for cancelling joint military exercises with Belarus, as well as for “Serbia to join the international initiative, under the leadership of the European Union and its member states, to find a peaceful exit from the crisis that has been caused by the counterfeiting of election results in the Belarus” elections.

Dodik congratulated Lucasan

Even in Bosnia there are no official reactions to the situation in Belarus. Bosnia and Herzegovina's presidency, which is responsible for foreign policy leadership and neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which implements confirmed policy and works for the development of international relations in line with Bosnia and Herzegovina's presidency positions and orientations, has issued no statement.

But, Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency member from the ranks of the Serbian people, Milorad Dodik, has sent congratulations to Alyaxasander Lucashenkas, in the case of his re-election for president of Belarus.

The text of this tour is not found on the official website of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Presidency, while the Srna news agency has announced that Dodik, among other things, “has expressed confidence that the Republic of Belarus, under Lucashenka's leadership, will continue the path of economic and technological progress for the benefit of all its citizens”.

I have the honor and pleasure of sending you the warmest wishes. I enjoy continuing to co-operate with you in the bilatheral and multilatheral plan, and I am convinced that in the future we will work on strengthening the friendly and brotherly relations of our people in all areas”, it is said in Dodik's prayer text.

After this promotion, only Bosnia and Herzegovina's former foreign affairs minister, Igor Crnadak, who in his Facebook profile, has called on Dodik to withdraw hunger.

I have to do this because of the interests of Republika Srpska, because of our children's future, who in the first step need to learn that abuse and oppression of their own people and the expulsion and imprisonment of the opposition are totally unacceptable”, wrote Igor Crnadak.

Milorad Dodik, also in 2015, then in the quality of Republika Srpska's president, had sent his congratulations to Lucas, following his victory in the presidential election.

Northern Macedonia backs sanctions on Belarus

From the cabinet of the government's Foreign Affairs Minister in Skopje, Free Europe has told Radio to refer to Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Dimitrov's Twitter statement through which he has backed demonstrators and imposed sanctions on Belarus.

“Determination for democratic changes demonstrated in the simplest and peaceful manner makes citizens of Belarus heroes of modern Europe. We welcome the European Union/Council for Foreign Affairs that they are preparing sanctions against those responsible for violence, immediate arrests and election fraud”, Dimitrov wrote on August 14th on Twitter.

Otherwise, the formation of the new government in Northern Macedonia is expected, following early parliamentary elections, which were held in this state on 4 August.

Montenegro has expressed concern

Montenegro's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a response to Radio Free Europe over developments in Belarus, has stressed that its country “is continuing to transmit the development of events and expresses concern over the escalation of riots and violence since the day of holding presidential elections in Belarus, on August 9th of 2020”.

This ministry has also said that Montenegro calls for respecting democratic principles, based on human rights and a free and transparent election process.

Therefore, with particular attention we are following relevant information on the overuse of violence on quiet demonstrators, as well as actions restricting media freedoms and the right to freedom of rally and expression”, the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.

Also, in response it is said that Montenegro, as a candidate country for EU membership, supports all measures the EU purposely takes to calm the situation and believes the upcoming extraordinary EU summit for Belarus will produce results in this regard.

“also, we stand firm in the position of promoting democracy, implementing internal reforms and protecting human freedoms, especially in the light of the facts that Belarus is part of the Eastern Partnership and that in recent years the difference in relations between the EU and this country” is evident.

Following the independence referendum in 2006, Belarus has recognised Montenegro, while diplomatic relations are established in August of that same year. Belarus has no resident ambassador to Podgorica, but Belgrade's Ambassador to Belarus exercises this task. Similarly, Montenegro's ambassador to Moscow is solely responsible for Belarus.

European Union for the situation in Belarus

After announcing victory in the August 9th elections, Alyaxander Lucashenka is facing the greatest challenge throughout its entire governance for 26 years.

Antigovernmental demonstrators have taken to the streets of Minski and other cities of Belarus, accusing him of manipulation of elections in order to extend his power. Protests, which are held every day since the elections, have also joined workers who have emerged from factory courtyards throughout Belarus, demanding a halt to violence on demonstrators and repeat elections.

Lukashenka rejects calls for his resignation, while in the police's crackdown, at least 2 persons have been killed, hundreds have been injured, and some 7,000 people have been arrested.

In an effort to ease people's discontent, authorities have later released at least 2,000 detainees. Many who have been released have given the frightening “evidence of torture and rape threats, which, according to Amnesty International's assessment, suggests it's a massive “torture”.

Lucashenka's main opposition rival, Svetlana Tihanovska, who after the elections has left in neighbouring Lithuania, has called on authorities to end the violence and start dialogue with citizens.

The European Union has made similar calls, ministers of member states whose 14 August have warned of imposing sanctions on Belarus, but that concrete measures must be worked on.

Political groups leading the European Parliament have announced that the European Parliament does not recognise Alyaxasander Lucaskenan as newly elected President of Belarus and that it considers him to be the unwanted “ (non-grata)” in the European Union.

Leaders of EU countries on Wednesday, August 19th, through a video conference have discussed the situation in Belarus.

European Council chief Charles Michel has said that the European Union will not recognise the election results in Belarus and impose sanctions on persons involved in election fraud as well as the crackdown on protests.

The European Union will impose sanctions on a string of individuals responsible for violence, oppression and election fraud”, Michel has said at the extraordinary summit of EU leaders, which is organised to discuss the European bloc's responses to the August 9th elections in Belarus. / REL/