OREANDA-NEWS. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius for Vilnius’s assistance in ensuring the independence of Belarus and the democratic rights of its people.

This was reported on the website of the US State Department. “The Secretary expressed appreciation for Lithuania’s leadership in ensuring the independence and territorial integrity of Belarus and the democratic rights of its people,” the statement reads.

Pompeo also thanked Lithuania for its commitment to NATO, its contribution to international security efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Strait of Hormuz and the banning of Hizballah as a terrorist group.

Lithuania, as well as other Baltic countries: Latvia and Estonia, did not recognize the results of the August presidential election in Belarus, in which the current head of state Alexander Lukashenko gained more than 80 % of votes, and accused Minsk of falsification, use of violence against peaceful protesters and persecution of opposition politicians and journalists.