Swiss ambassador to Belarus will meet Lukashenko

Disputed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has been roundly condemned by many sections of the international community. Belta

Switzerland’s new ambassador to Belarus, Christine Honegger Zolotukhin, will present herself to the country’s controversial President next month, in the face of criticism from opposition groups.

It is customary for new ambassadors to be received by a country’s head of state when they take up office. But Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is accused of rigging his 2020 election success and has subsequently caused international outrage with his behaviour.

This includes the violent suppression of dissent, the forced re-routing of an airplane to arrest a critic of his regime and the jailing of opposition figures, including a Swiss citizen.

Other countries have refused to recognise Lukashenko through ambassadorial meetings. But the Swiss foreign ministry has confirmed an article in the Tages Anzeiger newspaper that Zolotukhin will go ahead with the traditional courtesy visit.

“[Zolotukhin] will present her credentials to the Head of State, as is diplomatic practice in most countries,” a spokesperson told SWI swissinfo.ch on Monday. She will take up her post next month.

The Swiss embassy in Minsk has been without a head since the former ambassador retired in November.

Opposition Belarus politician Pavel Latuschko told the Tages Anzeiger that to meet with Lukashenko “would be an insult to the feelings of all Belarusian citizens. Especially those who are in prison for political reasons or had to flee abroad.”

But Switzerland believes there is more to be gained by engaging with the disputed President, particularly for resolving the case of Swiss-Belarus dual citizen who has been in prison since December 2020.