Presidium of Belarus’ Council of the Republic adopted statement in connection with PACE resolution on Ukrainian children

The statement of the Presidium of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus in connection with the PACE resolution on displacement of Ukrainian children reads:

The Presidium of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus is outraged by the resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) – Deportations and Forcible Transfers of Ukrainian Children and Other Civilians to Russian Federation or to Ukrainian Territories Temporary Occupied: Create Conditions for Their Safe Return, Stop These Crimes and Punish the Perpetrators – and mentioning the Republic of Belarus in this document.

This is another vivid example of how European politicians and parliamentarians have become hostages of their own game of censorship and dirty propaganda regarding the events in Ukraine. The supreme cynicism is the distortion by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe of the humanitarian mission to rescue civilians, including children and women.

At the same time, contrary to common sense and conscience, numerous facts of the extermination of civilians during indiscriminate shelling by Western weapons of residential neighbourhoods in Donetsk and Lugansk are being hushed up. This is exactly the real genocide, the manifestation in action of the unconditional fulfillment by the Ukrainian authorities of the instructions of their Western curators – to wage war in Ukraine to ‘the last Ukrainian’.

We emphasise once again that the Republic of Belarus is a peaceful democratic social state governed by the rule of law, for which a person, his rights and freedoms are the highest value and goal. Our country faithfully observes international human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Thousands of Ukrainian citizens, forced to flee from the fighting, chaos and devastation, have found their second home in Belarus. Today they are our people, Belarusian Ukrainians, who receive the necessary state protection and support. Ukrainian children regularly undergo rehabilitation in health camps in Belarus, thanks to which they can feel a happy and carefree childhood.

We are convinced that it is not for officials from the Council of Europe who openly support the conflict in Ukraine to determine what the relations of the Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples should be, how we should live.

The Presidium of the Council of the Republic strongly condemns the PACE incessant attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of Belarus and other sovereign states, confrontational approaches and unfriendly rhetoric. We once again call for the development of constructive inter-parliamentary co-operation and the building of a civilised dialogue between countries and peoples around the world.

Belarusians are a kind-hearted nation who has been extending a helping hand to all those who need it most. This national feature is rightfully our pride.