European Council to discuss the situation in Belarus

On Wednesday 19 August, Prime Minister Sanna Marin will attend an extraordinary video meeting of the members of the European Council to address the situation in Belarus. In the EU’s view, the presidential elections held in Belarus on 9 August were neither free nor fair. In their meeting, the EU leaders will discuss ways to support peaceful democratic development in Belarus.

The EU has condemned the electoral fraud and the violence of state authorities against citizens and has called for the immediate release of the imprisoned demonstrators. In their video meeting on 14 August, the EU Ministers for Foreign Affairs decided to begin preparations for sanctions against those responsible for the violence, the repression of demonstrations and the falsification of election results.

Inquiries: Jari Luoto, State Under-Secretary for European Affairs, tel. +358 50 468 5949 and Matti Niemi, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 45 679 1717, Prime Minister’s Office