{"id":200662,"date":"2026-08-20T17:38:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/200662\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T19:07:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:07:23","slug":"belarus-closing-its-embassy-in-finland","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/200662\/","title":{"rendered":"Belarus closing its embassy in Finland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n
\n (website of Belarus' embassy in Finland) <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

August 20, <\/strong>Pozirk<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Belarus is preparing to close its embassy in Helsinki, according to the National Legal Acts Registry\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A message on the site says that a Council of Ministers directive to this effect was registered on August 20, but gives no further detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The embassy was opened in December 2011, following the opening the Minsk office of the Finnish embassy in Lithuania. The Belarusian embassy, which is also accredited to Denmark, had been led by Ambassador Alaksiej Samasuje\u016d since 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The embassy announced a \u201ctemporary suspension of operations\u201d in July 2026, advising Belarusians to seek consular services in Daugavpils or Stockholm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were no reports of the ambassador\u2019s departure from Finland, but the contacts of the embassy\u2019s staff have been removed from its website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finland, an EU member state, does not recognize Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka as legitimately elected president and supports Belarusian pro-democracy forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helsinki is among the contributors to the International Humanitarian Fund for Victims of Repressions in Belarus. Belarusian opposition leader Sviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja meets with with Finnish officials on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The closure comes amid the ongoing \u201coptimization\u201d of Belarus\u2019 diplomatic missions abroad, launched in 2021. Belarus has reduced its presence in several European countries while expanding the network of consulates in Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, Belarus shut down its embassy in Slovakia. It had operated without an ambassador since August 2020, when Ihar La\u0161\u010denia resigned after siding with post-election protesters. The mission was later reopened, with Andrej Dapkiunas appointed ambassador in October 2024.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hungary is the only EU country represented in Minsk by an ambassador. The other member states downgraded their diplomatic presence in Belarus to charge d\u2019affaires following the 2020 presidential election, refusing to recognize Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka as its winner and a legitimate president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"