Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus S.Aleinik meets the UNHCR Representative in Belarus

On August 5, 2021, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Aleinik held a meeting with Head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Belarus Mulusew Mamo.

During the meeting, Sergei Aleinik informed his interlocutor in detail about the development of the situation on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, dwelled on the circumstances and specific facts of the tragic events that took place on August 3 and 4, 2021, declared the openness of the Belarusian Side regarding the ongoing investigation.

Deputy Minister also noted the unacceptability of barbaric methods of forcible expulsion of asylum seekers to the territory of Belarus, in violation of the provisions of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and other relevant international documents. S.Aleinik called on the UNHCR to help resolve the situation and return the Lithuanian Side to the legal field.

The interlocutors expressed serious concern about the current situation, especially by the facts of violence against people at the border, and noted the importance of compliance with international obligations regarding the right to asylum.