The Belarusian opposition wants closer economic ties with the European Union in the event of a possible regime change in Minsk, but not at the expense of relations with Russia, one of its senior representatives said on Friday.
Unprecedented protests against Belarusian strongman President Alexander Lukashenko erupted following the August 9 elections, the official result of which is disputed by the opposition.
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Alexander Lukashenko responded with brutal repression, pushing opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya into exile in Lithuania.
"Belarusian society is waiting for a very concrete signal of what the European Union can offer,"
Pavel Latushko, former Minister of Culture, now member of an opposition council supporting AFP in Vilnius
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told AFP in Vilnius. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
According to him, a possible promise of a free trade agreement or financial aid could send a strong signal to pro-democracy activists seeking to oust Lukashenko.
Pavel Latouchko however insisted on the fact that the opposition does not wish to alienate Russia, traditional ally of Belarus.
"We don't want friendship with the EU against Russia or friendship with Russia against the European Union,"
he said.
Vilnius is very active within the EU on the management of the crisis in its neighbor.
Pavel Latouchko met with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius before meeting Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa.
Formerly a member of President Lukashenko's political elite, Pavel Latouchko is now one of the important faces of the Coordination Council set up by the opposition.
He was dismissed from his post as director of the National Theater and summoned to justice after supporting anti-Lukashenko protesters.
He left Belarus this week.
Pavel Latushko has urged the West to isolate Alexander Lukashenko and his administration once his current term expires on November 5.
Lithuania and the other two Baltic countries, Estonia and Latvia, have already blacklisted unwanted people Alexander Lukashenko and 29 other senior officials in his administration.