President’s Office: Belarusian authorities create tension with pilgrims on border with Ukraine

The Office of the President of Ukraine (OP) has commented on the situation regarding 2,000 Hasidic pilgrims, most of whom came from Israel, and who are on the border between the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine.

“The Belarusian authorities, intentionally or unintentionally stir up these rumors with some of their ill-considered statements. Let us remind our neighbors that Ukraine had to make a decision to close the state border for foreigners due to a significant deterioration in the situation with the spread of coronavirus. Also, strict quarantine restrictions remain in force on the territory of our state, which makes it impossible to hold mass events, in particular of a religious nature. Just as in the spring we had to limit the participation of people in the celebration of Easter, we now explain that the mass celebration of Rosh Hashanah with the participation of thousands of pilgrims in the city of Uman, Cherkasy region of Ukraine, unfortunately, is impossible,” the Office said.

Also, the president “urges the Belarusian authorities to stop creating additional tension on the border with Ukraine and spreading false and encouraging statements to pilgrims, which may give them the feeling that the border of the Ukrainian state may still be open to foreigners.”

“We are also forced to state that the personal insult of certain persons in the de facto current Belarusian authorities extends today, unfortunately, to the plane of interstate relations. Let us remind that Ukraine has taken a neutral position regarding the political crisis, which was provoked by the dubiously organized voting in the presidential elections in the Republic of Belarus on August 9. We support the democratic values ​​universally recognized on the European continent and believe that each state must comply with the commitment to ensure human rights and freedoms guaranteed by international conventions and relevant national legislation, which at least formally also exists in Belarus,” the message reads.

In addition, the President of Ukraine believes that “every state during a pandemic should pursue a transparent and responsible policy aimed at stopping the coronavirus spread and refrain from provoking negative options of the development of the epidemic situation in neighboring countries.”