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Van: ZELENKA Evaldas <evaldas.zelenka@lrs.lt>
Verzonden: woensdag 7 juli 2021 16:36
Aan: Toor, T. van <T.vToor@tweedekamer.nl>; Prenger, M. <m.prenger@tweedekamer.nl>
Onderwerp: joint statement of FAC Chairs
Urgentie: Hoog

 

Dear colleagues,

 

My Chair Žygimantas Pavilionis, together with his FAC Chairs colleagues from UK, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic (both Senate and Chambers of Deputies) prepared a joint statement on situation in Lithuania where Lukashenko regime brings us hundreds illegal migrants. This joint statement will be published before Monday‘s Foreign Affairs Council meeting. We are also talking to our colleagues from Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Poland. We are trying to collect as many support from all the EU and NATO countries as we can.

 

I have a big big request to you. Could you forward this statement to your Chair and ask if he would like to join it.

Drop me a message if your Chair will decide to join this statement.

 

Greetings from Vilnius,

Evaldas

 

 

„We, the chairs of our respective national parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committees, condemn unequivocally the use of trafficked migrants by the illegal Lukashenko regime to undermine neighbouring states. Using the most vulnerable as leverage in a political dispute is a shameful and draws comparison with the act of air piracy we witnessed in May.
The attempt to push migrants over the border of Lithuania is a criminal and inhuman act aimed at undermining the solidarity and support of the Lithuanian people towards those in Belarus who crave liberty and reject the stolen elections of last year. This is a new and pernicious assault on a European Union member state and NATO partner. It should be met with solidarity and a national, European and transatlantic response.
We call for a ban on flights to Belarus suspected of being used for state-organised people trafficking.
We call for sanctions on those involved in this state-organised people trafficking across international borders and the Lukashenko regime that controls it.
We call for a joint commitment to the end the people trafficking across the EU borders, including support to EU Frontex, Border Management Visa Instrument, European Asylum Support Office and other national and international agencies that can support Lithuania or other states targeted by this unconventional attack by the Lukashenko regime.   
We call for joint EU and NATO statements to the governments of Iraq, Turkey, and any other state used by the Lukashenko regime in the abuse and instrumentalization of migrants, to end the practice and defend the dignity of those whose rights are being violated.“