Esteemed members of Seimas,
Dear friends,
Let me be frank with you: today, the Belarusian people have no greater friend than Lithuania. In the middle of the political and humanitarian catastrophe that our nation is going through, we need true friends and strong allies. We need you.
Let me use this opportunity to thank you for all that Lithuanians do for us. Belarusians will never forget the help that we got from you after 2020. You supported Belarusians during mass protests. Lithuania saved thousands of people fleeing the terror that Belarus had not seen since Stalin's times.
Your country sets an example of the principled and decisive position to other European countries. Lithuania did not make deals with Lukashenka and became our voice in the international arena.
We Belarusians need the support of Lithuania and the Lithuanian people today more than ever, in order to escape the clutches of Russian tyranny.
Recently, the Lithuanian media and the Internet have been discussing statements by unknown provocateurs, which humiliate Lithuania and the Lithuanian people. I assure you that such anti-Lithuanian statements are marginal in Belarusian society and not shared by the most.
The claims of such provocateurs are outrageous and absurd. They contradict the basic principles of democracy and Belarusian national interests.
Let me emphasise our common position: we do not and will never have any territorial claims against Lithuania. The Lithuanian land and the Lithuanian state belong only to Lithuanians. There is no question about that.
True Belarusians fully respect the sovereignty of Lithuania, its history and identity.
There’s no doubt that the goal of these provocateurs is to break the trust and poison the friendship between Belarusians and Lithuanians. They want to tear us apart in order to bring Belarusians to the “Russian world”. But I can only hope these provocateurs will fail time and again, and these challenges will only strengthen our bond.
However, we take this problem seriously. We understand the security concerns of Lithuanians. Lukashenka’s agents must have no place in Lithuania or the European Union, they should be deported. And we are ready to help the Lithuanian authorities identify them.
Let us also remember that the regime and Belarusians are not the same. They are enemies. The regime is waging a war against our people.
We understand why closing borders with Belarus is being discussed in Lithuania. But there should be a humanitarian corridor for Belarusians fleeing repressions. They have no other choice, if they want to save their life and freedom.
This is why I hope that the Lithuanian government’s policy towards Belarus won’t change. It means the isolation of the regime on the one hand, and on the other hand, support for Belarusians fighting for the liberation of their country.
Dear friends,
Those Belarusians who come to Lithuania want more than anything to return home. We appreciate Lithuania's hospitality, but we are here only temporarily. Our true desire is to have our own country, to forge our own fate. Lithuania’s path to freedom and independence is a great inspiration for us.
Belarusians are also walking this path. At the end of it, the same as today’s Lithuania, Belarus will become a member of the European Union.
Yes, today it seems like a distant goal. But I believe that we will get there. For this, we desperately need Lithuanians to continue being our strongest allies. The stronger our Belarusian-Lithuanian friendship is, the worse it will be for our common enemy, which is Russian imperialism.
Thank you.
