OREANDA-NEWS. The office of the leader of the Belarusian opposition, ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said that he received diplomatic status in Lithuania. The corresponding message was posted on Monday, July 5, in the Telegram channel of Tikhanovskaya following the results of her joint briefing with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis in Vilnius.

«Tikhanovskaya's office received a diplomatic status in Lithuania. This means that the Belarusian people now have an official representation in the EU countries», the message reads. It further states that the office will be considered the official representative office of the Belarusian democracy.

Lithuania is the first EU country to take such a step. «I thank Lithuania for the huge support that the entire Belarusian people and I personally have received over these months. Belarus is not Lukashenko, but the Belarusian people. And now it is officially recognized», Tikhanovskaya noted in this regard.

At this stage, work is underway to ensure that other countries adopt a similar measure. The Belarusian opposition considers the incident a «new stage of delegitimization of the regime» of Lukashenko.