Lithuania defends banning Russian and Belarusian observers from monitoring upcoming election
Time:2024-05-09 06:30:23 Source:politicsViews(143)
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania defended Wednesday the decision not to allow Russian and Belarusian observers to monitor its upcoming presidential election, accusing both countries of spearheading campaigns that “pose a threat to our national security.”
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe — which includes Lithuania, Russia and Belarus— usually sends multi-national observer teams to watch its 57 member states’ elections.
The election on Sunday comes at a time when Russia is making gains on the battlefield in Ukraine, where the war has entered its third year, fueling fears across all of Europe and especially in the strategically important Baltic region about Moscow’s intentions.
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry in a statement Wednesday said the country had invited OSCE observers to monitor the election “except for the aggressor Russia and its supporter Belarus” and accused them of being a threat to the Baltic nation’s political and electoral processes.
You may also like
- Former Daytona 500 winner McDowell will leave Front Row Motorsports for Spire in 2025
- Real Madrid can clinch Spanish league title as it seeks another Champions League crown
- China issues orange alert for severe convective weather
- Chinese entertainment projects receive global awards for outstanding achievement
- California Supreme Court to weigh pulling measure making it harder to raise taxes from ballot
- Soderberg maintains strong recent form to share first
- Coach sees challenges for women's basketball team at Paris 2024
- Flights to Dubai disrupted as rain hits the UAE 2 weeks after its heaviest recorded rainfall ever
- Shakib returns to Bangladesh squad for final two T20 matches against Zimbabwe