Merkel Says She Will Meet Belarus Opposition Leader Soon
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday she
would hold talks with Belarus's main opposition leader, days after French
President Emmanuel Macron met with her and pledged to help mediate in her
country's crisis.
"I will soon meet the opposition leader Ms
(Svetlana) Tikhanovskaya," Merkel told parliament, hailing the
"courage" of the women demonstrating since a disputed election last
month in which the opposition has claimed victory against President Alexander
Lukashenko.
Merkel, who holds the rotating presidency of the
European Union, said Germany did not recognise Lukashenko as the winner of the
vote and that she condemned the government's violence against protesters.
"When you see the courage shown by the women
who are appearing on the streets for a free life without corruption, then I can
only say: I admire that and find it truly impressive," she said.
Macron spoke with Tikhanovskaya this week on a visit
to Lithuania in her most high-profile meeting so far since the Belarus
election.
"We will do our best as Europeans to help
mediate and we will come back to OSCE mediation in order to progress,"
Macron said.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) has offered to help broker a negotiated end to the crisis in
Belarus.
Mass protests that have continued since the election
have been met with a bloody crackdown and Tikhanovskaya's husband Sergei is in
prison accused of trying to overthrow the government.
