Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders welcomes the release of six political prisoners, including former presidential candidate Mykalai Statkevich, in Belarus. He hopes that this promising evolution will continue and will lead to a substantial improvement in the relations between the European Union and Belarus.

The next presidential elections in Belarus will be held on 11 October. Didier Reynders hopes that these elections will be a step forward for democracy in the country. Belgium will participate in the election observation mission organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).