Germany has asked Belarus to accept OSCE’s offer to mediate the dialogue between the government and the opposition, and find a solution to the political crisis stemming from the contested presidential elections.
In a press conference on Monday, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert praised the courage of protesters and called for the OSCE to mediate between the two sides.
“We reiterate that the OSCE must mediate the dialogue. The weekend footage shows that citizens in Belarus have shown great courage and protested freely in large numbers on the streets. They must be given the opportunity for a better future for their country,” he stated.
Seibert also hailed Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s attempt as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to facilitate talks between Lukashenko and the opposition: “We salute the head of the OSCE, Mr. Edi Rama, who has shown his readiness and offered to mediate in the dialogue with Lukashenko.”
Rama and incoming OSCE CiO Ann Linde reiterated their offer in a letter to Lukashenko on Saturday.
The EU and US support the OSCE initiative to help Belarus amidst ongoing mass opposition protests following August elections.
