Belarus: Politics and Government

(asked on 21st January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her policy is on (a) the legitimacy of the presidency of Mr Lukashenko and (b) UK recognition of any international agreements which the Lukashenko regime has entered into.


Answered by
Chris Heaton-Harris Portrait
Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This question was answered on 31st January 2022

The UK has never accepted the results of the 2020 Belarusian Presidential election, which was neither free nor fair. We support the findings in Professor Benedek's November 2020 report to the OSCE that the processes of the election were fraudulent and the results falsified. As such, Lukashenko's claim to the Presidency lacks legitimacy. We continue to call on the Belarusian regime to hold new elections that are free and fair, meet international standards, and are subject to independent local and international observation. It is the longstanding policy of the UK to recognise states, not governments or individuals.

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