Belarusian President Alexander Loukachenko "must go", according to the French president.

Emmanuel Macron said it Sunday September 27 on the eve of his first visit from Monday September 28 to Wednesday September 30 to Lithuania and Latvia, two central Baltic countries in the political crisis in Belarus and which hope for the support of Paris.

According to the Elysee, it is not excluded that Emmanuel Macron meets Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa, a refugee in Vilnius.

During his tour, the French Head of State is due to meet his Lithuanian counterparts Gitanas Nauseda and Latvian Egils Levits, as well as Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins.

He will also visit the contingent of 300 French soldiers stationed at the Lithuanian base in Rukla, as part of NATO's reinforced presence in the region.

The Atlantic Alliance has deployed permanent rotations of troops to Poland and the Baltic states in the face of Moscow's deemed aggressive policy since the annexation in 2014 of Ukrainian Crimea.

"An authoritarian power which cannot accept the logic of democracy"

In addition to bilateral relations, Emmanuel Macron's discussions with the Baltic leaders should focus on the crisis in neighboring Belarus, after the re-election on August 9 of President Alexander Lukashenko, accused by the opposition of having rigged the election and supported by Vladimir Putin.

"What is happening in Belarus is a crisis of power, an authoritarian power which cannot accept the logic of democracy and which clings on by force. It is clear that Lukashenko must leave," a affirmed Emmanuel Macron in statements in the

Journal du dimanche

(JDD), published Sunday, September 27.

Both the European Union (EU) and the Baltic countries have not recognized his election and Lithuania has given refuge to Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa.

The three Baltic states have decided on sanctions against Belarusian officials found responsible for the crackdown on the opposition.

The EU is also expected to take sanctions against the Minsk regime, but is currently blocked by the veto from Cyprus.

>> See also: Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa, head of the Belarusian opposition: "We want a new country"

For a peaceful transition

The Elysee said that it was "not excluded" that the French president meets in Vilnius the Belarusian opponent.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told

Le Figaro

on Thursday September 24 that

she "expects a lot" from Emmanuel Macron and hopes that he "gets involved in helping us break the deadlock".

In his statements to the

JDD

, the head of state said he was "impressed by the courage of the demonstrators" in Belarus.

"They know the risks they take by parading every weekend and yet, they continue the movement to bring democracy to life in this country which has been deprived of it for so long," he said.

France is calling for a peaceful transition for Belarus, with the end of the repression and then by the initiation of a dialogue taking into account the will of the population, "while avoiding the risk of greater repression, or even intervention by Russia ", recalled the Elysee.

“I happened to speak to Vladimir Putin on September 14, the day he received Lukashenko in Sochi. I told him that Russia has a role to play, and that role can be positive if he pushes Lukashenko to respect the truth of the ballot box and release political prisoners. It was two weeks ago, we are not there, "the president told

JDD

.

Tensions with Russia

The French president has taken care since the start of his five-year term to visit each of the European states.

This will be the first French presidential trip to the Baltic States since Jacques Chirac's visit in 2001.

His trip takes place in a context of tensions with Russia, caused by the case of the poisoning of the opponent Alexeï Navalny, also underlined the Elysee.

The Baltic states both want support from France against Russia.

"Lithuania is awaiting a firm response from President Emmanuel Macron on Russia and the situation in Belarus. The discussion should also focus on the role of NATO in guaranteeing the security of the region, the Americans being seen as the key factor in the security of the Baltic States ", explains Vilnius University professor Ramunas Vilpisauskas.

With AFP

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