Minister Champagne meets with Belarusian opposition leader and Baltic Group foreign ministers, wrapping up European visit

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, concluded his mission to Europe today with a stop in Lithuania, where he met with Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to reiterate Canada’s support for the people of Belarus.

While in Vilnius, and at Canada’s initiative, the Minister also held talks with his counterparts from the Baltic Group.  With the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, he discussed ways on partnering to support democracy, peace and security, human rights and the rules-based international system.

Together, the ministers also expressed their solidarity with the people of Belarus and committed to working with international partners to ensure that those responsible for violence and for undermining democracy in that country are held accountable.

Finally, the ministers discussed the latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh. They emphasized the urgent need to fully respect the ceasefire agreement and resume negotiations under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

These meetings in Lithuania come at the close of a five-day tour of Europe during which the Minister also made stops in Greece, Austria and Belgium. His visit underscored Canada’s commitment to security, stability and prosperity, as well as its enduring transatlantic engagement, including through its NATO membership and close cooperation with the European Union, and European partners.