Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and her Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto, held a phone conversation on Friday, during which the sides discussed the situation in Belarus
HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st August, 2020) Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and her Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto, held a phone conversation on Friday, during which the sides discussed the situation in Belarus.
"Discussed the developments in #Belarus with my good colleague Sauli @niinisto We all must keep our attention on the situation to ensure that the answer to the democratic demands of Belarusians will not be more violence," Kaljulaid wrote on Twitter.
The head of Finland retweeted his Estonian colleague's post, saying, "Thank you, @KerstiKaljulaid, for the phone call today. Always good for us neighbours to compare notes on important issues"
On Wednesday, Estonia initiated a discussion of the situation in Belarus as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, representing Estonia, has expressed deep concern in his speech about the excessive use of force by the Belarusian authorities during the protests after the presidential election in the country.
On the same day, the Finnish government issued a statement on the situation in Belarus, in which it expressed its support for the Belarusian society, as well as sanctions against the incumbent Belarusian authorities.
Nationwide protests broke out in Belarus after the August 9 election, in which incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won his sixth consecutive term with 80.1 percent of the vote. The opposition challenged the outcome, claiming that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who came in second with roughly 10 percent, was the legitimate winner.
In the first days of the rallies, security forces used tear gas, water cannons, stun grenades and rubber bullets against protesters, which caused serious concerns abroad.
According to official estimates, more than 6,700 people were detained in the early days of the unrest. Many of them have since been released. Hundreds of others, including more than 150 law enforcement officers, were injured, and three protesters died.
