“Vice President Charanzova,
President Elbegdorj,
Minister Romascanu,
Professor Tiburi,
Excellencies, friends,
First, let me address young Belarusians, who are here in the audience today. I know that you participated in the pro-democracy uprising in 2020, and had to flee the country. I know that each of you has friends or family members who were jailed by Lukashenka’s regime alongside thousands of other innocents. And I am grateful to you that despite all the terror, you did not give up, and continue your fearless work for the new democratic and European Belarus.
The last two years were a big test for our nation. It was a test for the international community as well: are we ready to fight for principles and values that we all stand for? Are we ready to sacrifice something in the name of our freedom?
And we, Belarusians, proved that we are ready. We saw people of Belarus standing up saying loud and clear: Lukashenka is not Belarus. We are Belarus. We are Europe. And it’s us who decide our own future.
We also realized that the fight for democracy can not be won on our own. The lack of a strong and quick response from the world allowed the brutal dictatorship to drown the voice of new Belarus in blood and terror. Before our eyes, the dictator builds North Korea in the center of Europe.
The crisis spilled over the region and has turned from a local one into a geopolitical one. The dictator, feeling his impunity, threatened the security of Europe. He hijacked the Raynair plane and then orchestrated the migration crisis on the border with our good neighbors. The road from falsifying elections to becoming a threat to international security proved to be very short.
Today he is pulling Belarus into Putin’s criminal war against Ukraine. And I am proud to see so many Belarusians joining the resistance movement. Although street protests are impossible, people demonstrate disobedience and stop trains with Russian military equipment.
The situation in Belarus is a vivid example of how a dictatorship in a small country can become a global threat to democracy around the world. And today, more than ever, the world must unite in the face of a global catastrophe.
Today, we must unite in support of Ukraine, which is fighting at the forefront for democratic values. We must unite in support of a free Belarus. Because without free Belarus no security is guaranteed neither for Ukraine, nor for Europe. Today the fate of Belarus, Ukraine and all of the democratic world are closely intertwined.
And if we don't want to wake up one day in a world where tyrants dictate the rules, we must stop them now.
Thank you!”
