Lipavský: Foreign Ministry supports setting up of Belarusian Office in Prague

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský fully supports the establishment of a Belarusian Office in Prague, the Czech News Agency reported on Wednesday. The possibility of setting up such an office, which would act as an embassy of sorts for Belarusians unable to return to their home country for political reasons, was originally brought up following the crackdown of the Lukashenko regime on domestic protests after the contested 2020 presidential election.

Mr Lipavský said that office would be open to all democratically thinking Belarusian citizens in Czechia. He said that its establishment was discussed with members of the Belarusian diaspora in Prague and that the Foreign Ministry is currently waiting on their reply. The head of Czech diplomacy was cited by the Czech News Agency as saying that the setting up of the office is not connected to Tuesday’s statement by Belarus’ opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya that a Belarusian government in exile is to be established, with embassies in Estonia, Prague and Brussels.