Dear colleagues,
Dear friends,
What do we want the New Belarus to be? An independent European nation or a buffer zone? Or worse, a Russian colony? For me, the answer is clear: Belarus belongs in Europe.
The war has made it clear that the alliance with Russia is a dead end. In alliance with Russia, Belarus has no future. Everyone in this room is well aware of that. But it is still unclear to many Belarusians inside Belarus. And we need to make them understand.
We need to free Belarus from the Russian orbit. We need to prevent our country from becoming a pawn for Putin in the aftermath of the war. We need to decolonize Belarus. If we fail to do this, the independence of Belarus will always be under threat.
At the Munich Security Conference, I made a statement that all agreements with Russia signed by the illegitimate regime will be annulled. Belarus must leave the Union State, CSTO, and other alliances with Russia. Russian troops and nuclear weapons must be withdrawn from our territory. According to June polls, only 4% of Belarusians support unification with Russia.
By doing all of this, we will embark on bringing Belarus back to Europe. Belarus' accession into European integration will not be quick. But we must start taking steps in this direction today. We have adopted a declaration of future membership in the European Union, and now this becomes our political priority.
We have already been establishing our presence in European structures. There is a contact group working in the Council of Europe, where our country is represented not by the regime, but by the democratic community. A consultative group has been formed in the European Union. Similarly, we want to do the same in the European Economic and Social Committee. Being present in European structures will give us not only a voice but also concrete instruments to change the situation within the country.
When the United Transitional Cabinet was established, many said no one would recognize it. But now I see people begin to understand that we can be partners. This is an important step for the future.
We have already been establishing our presence in Kyiv. Cooperation with Ukraine has strategic significance both for the liberation of Belarus and for the future. Kyiv also starts to understand the need for cooperation with Belarusians. Ukraine's viewpoint will be crucial in establishing a new security architecture, and Belarus must be a part of it.
Groups of Friends of Democratic Belarus have been formed in more than 20 national parliaments. Not long ago, many worked with Lukashenka's so-called parliament. But that time is gone. We will invite these parliamentary groups to be our lobbyists and promote the return of Belarus to Europe.
European Belarus will be a reliable partner for its neighbors and a guarantor of security and stability in the entire region.
Belarusians are Europeans in spirit, culture, history, and values. Belarus without Europe is not possible, and neither is Europe without Belarus. And unless democracy is achieved and the rule of law is restored in our country, lasting peace in the entire region will not be possible either.
Thank you for your attention.
