Pompeo Says World Will Respond To Improve Outcomes In Belarus

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2020) The international community will jointly respond to the the current situation in Belarus in a such a way that will lead to better results for the Belarusian people, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a presser with his Austrian counterpart in Vienna on Friday.

"I think the world collectively will respond to this in a way that I hope leads to better outcomes for the Belarusian people," Pompeo said.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said Vienna and the European Union over the last couple of years have reached out to Belarus, which is why the situation is a disappointment.

"The development we are seeing in the last couple of days is so disappointing. It's a huge step backwards, and I am deeply worried about the events unfolding in Minsk and in other cities," he said.

Schallenberg urged Belarusian authorities to halt the violence and arbitrary detentions of peaceful demonstrators and journalists. He also called on Belarus to release prisoners. What Belarus needs most, he added, is to start a meaningful and comprehensive national dialogue.

Mass protests broke out in Belarus in the late hours of Sunday, when the first election results showed incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko win his sixth term by a landslide. Scores of national and foreign media outlets, including RIA Novosti, Sputnik, RT, Russia's tv Rain, have since reported detentions of their employees who covered the unrest. Some others, such as the BBC, have reported that police used force against their workers.