Lithuania's opposition Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats said they handed over the statement to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Representatives of the Belarusian opposition said in the statement that political prisoners should be released, persecution of democratic movements should be stopped, fair elections should be held and the right to establish independent organizations should be ensured during the normalization of the official Minsk's relations with the EU.
The signatories expressed unanimous support for the EU's dialogue on the modernization of the Belarusian society, a facilitated procedure to Belarusian citizens to travel in the Schengen area and other practical initiatives aimed at increasing the regime's openness and closer ties between the Belarusian society and the European Union.
The document was signed by Irina Veshtard, chairwoman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party, Vladimir Neklyaev, leader of head of the public campaign Tell the Truth!, Alexander Milinkevich, leader of the public movement For Freedom, Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the United Civil Party of Belarus, Aleksey Janukevich, leader of the Belarusian Popular Front, Vital Rymashevsky, chairman of the party Belarussian Christian Democracy, and Sergey Kalyakin, leader of the party A Just World.
"Such documents are a signal to the European Union and Lithuania, which is about to take over its presidency for the next six months, that the Belarusian society is ready for changes and that local democratic powers agree on necessary reforms and hope that Europe will not be indifferent," Andrius Kubilius, leader of the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats, commented on the document.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Conservative Audronius Ažubalis stressed the need for Lithuania's ruling parties to hear this united message from the neighbors and properly present it to Lithuania's partners in the EU at a meeting of the Foreign Council in Brussels on April 22.
