“Today Julie Fisher has announced that she is leaving the post of U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus and I want to thank her very much for her work. She truly understands and shares the feelings of Belarusians – this was evident from the very moment we met. Ms. Fisher was meeting with the families of political prisoners, helping us establish contacts that were lost by the regime, advocating for the united position of Europe and America on Belarus. Thanks to her, we have developed long-term and stable relations with the government and the U.S. Congress.
I now know that in America, when a person changes positions, it doesn't mean she stops paying attention and taking an interest in what she was working on. I am sure that Julie – she allowed herself to be called by her first name – will remain a friend to the Belarusians and that we will meet more than once.
At the same time, we are already in touch with Ruben Harutunian, U.S. Charge d'Affaires a.i. (Deputy Chief of Mission) in Belarus, and will continue to work with him. After all, our goal is unchanged: the Belarusians should have their own peaceful, independent country where all political prisoners are free. And the guarantee of such a system is precisely the rotation of people in the state apparatus”.
