The joint statement was issued as European Union leaders were on Wednesday discussing Belarus, where protests are mounting against the country’s strongman leader. Alexander Lukashenko faces pressure to step down following his contested re-election.
Polish President Andrzej Duda, his Czech counterpart Miloš Zeman, Slovakia’s Zuzana Čaputová and Hungary’s János Áder said on Wednesday they were voicing their "deepest concern” about the recent presidential election in Belarus, adding that the result “has not been recognized by Belarusian society.”
The four called on the Belarusian authorities to “open the way” to a political solution to the crisis in Poland’s eastern neighbour.
They said they supported “the right of the people of Belarus to free, fair and democratic presidential elections.”
They also called on "any foreign actors" to refrain from "actions that would undermine Belarus’ independence and sovereignty."
Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary together form a regional cooperation platform called the Visegrad Group (V4).
The official results of the August 9 presidential election in Belarus handed Lukashenko, in power for more than a quarter of a century, an 80 percent share of the vote, while Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, his main electoral opponent, took around 10 percent.
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets in Belarus to demonstrate against the election, which protesters say was rigged, and against police brutality towards citizens.
(pk/gs)
Source: PAP