HELSINKI (Monitoring Desk): Estonia will not send a new ambassador to Belarus , since it does not consider Alexander Lukashenko to be the legitimate president, Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets said on Saturday.
“It would be extremely inappropriate, since Estonia, like Europe , does not recognize the results of the presidential elections in Belarus, which took place in August last year,” the minister told the Estonian broadcasting portal ERR.
Last week, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid signed an order on the appointment of Jaak Lensment as the new ambassador to Minsk , who is to present his credentials to Lukashenka. The term of office of the current ambassador, Merike Kokayev, should end on July 31.
According to Liimets, Estonia has four options: to act as usual, lowering the level of Estonian representation, appointing a chargé d’affaires, not hand over credentials and leave the ambassador to work in Tallinn or not take any further steps at all and continue with the reduced staff at the embassy.
“Our ambassador’s inauguration, which is to take place in early September, depends on our assessment of the situation in Belarus. We will consult with our partners and allies who see the need to coordinate national actions and show unity on this issue. Foreign policy consists of thousands of important details”, – said Liimets. After the presidential elections in Belarus on August 9, 2020, in which Lukashenko won.
