According to Estonia, the appointment of an ambassador to Belarus would be a tacit recognition of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s presidency, reports ERR. News.
“The diplomat appointed to the post of Estonian ambassador to Belarus will not ultimately occupy the post,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets. “It would be a tacit recognition of Lukashenka’s presidency, and completely ridiculous, as neither Estonia nor the EU recognizes the results of the Belarusian presidential election last August, which was marked by massive fraud.”
Estonia does not view Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimate head of state, Liimets said, so the presentation of credentials by the ambassador will not take place.
Liimetes presented several possible alternatives to a full-fledged diplomatic mission. This could be the appointment of a temporary chargé d’affaires, keeping an ambassador who will work from Tallinn and, accordingly, will not hand over credentials, or the embassy with fewer employees without new appointments.
In early July, Minsk ordered Lithuania and Latvia to reduce the number of consular staff in their embassies.
belsat. eu
