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PARIS
French President Emmanuel Macron met the Belarusian opposition leader in Lithuania on Tuesday during an official visit.
Macron discussed the current political crisis in Belarus with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, promising help with negotiations and the release of political prisoners.
The French president called the early morning meeting in the capital Vilnius.
Tikhanovskaya had issued a statement on Monday urging Macron to intervene in the troubled situation in Belarus.
“He promised us to do everything possible to help negotiations in the political crisis our country is going through,” Tikhanovskaya said in a statement to France24 television.
“Many people are suffering because of the regime, too many people are in prison and he will do everything possible to help free all political prisoners.”
Tikhanovskaya will speak to the French National Assembly on October 7.
The 38-year-old politician ran as the main opposition candidate to current Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in elections held in August.
She took the place of her husband, Sergei Tikhanovskaya, who had been the candidate but was arrested on May 29.
“We had a very good discussion, but now we need to be pragmatic and support the Belarusian people. We will do everything possible as Europeans to help mediate,” Macron said as reported by France24.
Lukashenko, leader of the Eastern European state for 26 years, is said to have regained the presidency in a landslide vote; The results, however, have been widely denounced, with demonstrations now in their fiftieth day in the country.
Tikhanovskaya claims a legitimate victory in the elections. For her safety, the leader has taken refuge in neighboring Lithuania.
Lukashenko was secretly sworn in last Wednesday, however his presidency has not been recognized by the European Union.
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