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Polish, Baltic presidents confer on regional security amid tensions in Belarus

17.08.2020 15:00
The presidents of Poland and the Baltic states have discussed regional security amid mounting tensions in Belarus, officials said on Monday.
Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Polish President Andrzej Duda.Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka

Polish President Andrzej Duda announced on Twitter he had held a teleconference with his counterparts from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to “exchange views on the situation in Belarus.”

He added that the four leaders had discussed developments in that country “especially in the context of regional security.”

"Our four countries maintain the position expressed in an appeal to the Belarusian authorities," Duda tweeted.

He added: "We are also maintaining our readiness to support a political process to exercise the free will of the Belarusian people.”

Duda also said that the four presidents had agreed to continue their close cooperation when it came to Belarus and to "jointly monitor the situation."

Earlier in the day, a top European Union official announced that EU leaders would hold a video call on Wednesday to discuss developments in Belarus.

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Minsk and other cities in Belarus in recent days to contest the widely-disputed re-election victory of the country’s strongman president, Alexander Lukashenko, news agencies have reported.

Russia said on Sunday it had told Lukashenko it was ready to offer military assistance if necessary as demonstrators held the biggest protest yet against what they call Lukashenko's rigged re-election, the Reuters news agency reported.

Polish Deputy Defence Minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz said on Monday that Poland was closely monitoring the situation on its border with Belarus amid plans for Belarusian military drills this week in the Grodno region bordering Poland and Lithuania.

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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters