Finland terms Belarus polls not free or fair

President and Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy on Friday observed that the presidential elections held in Belarus on 9 August were neither free nor fair.

The committee at a meeting discussed various issues such as the Belarus elections, explosions in Lebanon, relations between Turkey and Greece, the Government Human Rights Report and the Government Report on Foreign and Security Policy, said an official press release.

The committee in its observation said the presidential elections held in Belarus on 9 August were neither free nor fair and there was failure to comply with the standards of democracy and the rule of law.

It also remarked that is highly regrettable that OSCE election observers were not allowed to enter that country.

According to the committee, disproportionate force was used by the security authorities during the election campaign and after the elections. The unrest in Belarus is ongoing and the situation remains a cause of concern, the meeting observed.

The meeting reviewed the situation in Lebanon. Following the explosion in Beirut on 4 August, Finland granted EUR one million to the emergency operation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Lebanon. Medical supplies and a team trained in international rescue operations were also sent to Beirut. In addition, Finland will continue with its other long-term supports to Lebanon, in particular through crisis management and development assistance. Preparations are being made to repair the premises of the Finnish Embassy in Beirut damaged on 4 August.

The committee discussed tensions between Greece and Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. It observed that it is important that diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation continue.

The president and the Ministerial Committee received an update on the premises and objectives for the preparation of the Government Human Rights Report.

The human rights report draws on the Government’s work on fundamental and human rights issues on a long-term basis, examining them at international, national, and EU levels.