Belarus opp leader Tikhanovskaya to discuss future moves with German Chancellor Merkel

Belarus opposition leer Svetlana Tikhavskaya is set to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, October 6 to force Belarusian authorities for a dialogue, reported Guardian.

While standoff in European nation is taking a geopolitical direction including Russia and West, Tikhavskaya is reported to have said that she will seek Germany’s intervention as a ‘mediator’ in negotiations between protest leers and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

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Russian President Vlimir Putin, who backs Lukashenko, has bluntly rejected to participate in negotiations. However, Belarusian opposition leer said in an interview with media outlet that she will discuss ways ‘to put pressure’ on authorities with Merkel because Belurasians believe that its only way to force government into a dialogue with people.

Nationwide protests have rocked Belarus after August 9 general elections results gave Lukashenko a sixth consecutive term in office. opposition has decried election as ‘rigged’ and Tikhavskaya, who officially only received 10 percent of votes, declared herself as a national leer.

Lukashenko challenger said that Belurasians alrey consider long time leer's rule as ‘illegitimate’. While Tikhavskaya fled Belarus and has been based in Lithuania, tensions between European Union (EU) and Lukashenko authorities have escalated.

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Belarus hits back EU with retaliatory sanctions

Earlier on Friday, Belarus anunced retaliatory sanctions against European Union and even threatened to revise its diplomatic relations with 27-nation-bloc. This came after EU imposed sanctions on nearly 40 Belurasian officials who were accused of ‘falsifying' August election results that triggered nationwide unrest. Even though Belarus Foreign Ministry's statement did t include list of sanctions, it said that “ Belarusian side, starting from today, puts into effect a retaliatory sanctions list.”

Threatening “more serious consequences” if EU intensifies “sanctions flywheel”, Belarusian Foreign Ministry said that it could abandon joint programs and projects or revise diplomatic relations it currently shares with union. statement also said that Belarus has always been against confrontation but is determined to respond to “unfriendly actions” to protect national security. 

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