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Belarusian opposition leader says ready to consider Russia as mediator

"Russia is a country we have friendly and close relations with," Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Natalia Fedosenko/TASS
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya
© Natalia Fedosenko/TASS

MINSK, August 29. /TASS/. The Belarusian opposition is ready to consider Russia as a mediator if efforts to resolve the political crisis in the country without international assistance fail, former Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told Euronews.

"If we need foreign mediation in talks, we will definitely see Russia as one of the participants in the process. Russia is a country we have friendly and close relations with," she said.

Belarus held its presidential election on August 9. According to the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% of the vote, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya garnered 10.12%. She refused to recognize the election’s results, left Belarus and is currently in Lithuania. Protests erupted in the country's capital of Minsk and several other cities following the presidential vote, leading to clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers.