The Vatican continues to monitor closely the events in Belarus as they unfold, Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, said on Friday
VATICAN CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th June, 2021) The Vatican continues to monitor closely the events in Belarus as they unfold, Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, said on Friday.
"The Holy See continues to monitor closely the developments in Belarus and the steps taken by various parties involved, and remains committed to achieving democratic and peaceful solutions to the legitimate demands of the Belarusian people," the Vatican official told the press.
In August of last year, Pope Francis called for dialogue, non-violence and respect for law in Belarus following controversial elections that saw President Alexander Lukashenko hold on to power for a sixth consecutive term.
On May 23, a Ryanair flight en route from Athens to Vilnius was forced to land in Minsk over a bomb threat, which later turned out to have been false. Among the passengers was Roman Protasevich, one of the founders of the Telegram channel Nexta, which was active during last year's post-election protests in Belarus. The journalist was detained during the stopover.
The incident provoked an outcry from Western politicians and officials. Later, the European Union suspended the flights of Belarusian airplanes and recommended European carriers to avoid flights over Belarus. The West has also been preparing new sanctions against Belarus.
