Honorary Consul Of Belarus In Italy Resigns In Protest With Post-Election Events
Belarusfeed
3 March 2021, 00:56
Antonio Sottile, Honorary Consul of Belarus in Emilia-Romagna, has resigned, the Italian Gazzetta di Reggio reports. His decision stems from the events after the presidential election in Belarus, in which Alexander Lukashenko allegedly won over 80% of the votes. According to Sottile, he decided to resign after the repression against the Belarusian people, who protested against the rigging of elections with peaceful marches.
“I have already talked with the staff of Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and the Belarusian Embassy in Italy. My choice is the choice of conscience because I firmly believe in the values that my parents instilled in me and which I pass on to my three children: democracy, freedom, respect for human rights and non-violence. In Belarus, more than 27,000 people were detained and subjected to intimidation, persecution and torture,” says Antonio Sottile.
According to the official, he also took into account the fact that the OSCE confirmed that “the elections on 9 August did not meet international standards and were neither free nor fair. Europe does not recognize the results of these elections. The European Parliament did not recognize Lukashenko as president and calls for new elections under international control. ”
“I was an honorary consul for almost ten years, and I can say that I carried out my mission as honestly as possible. I developed ties between Belarusian business and Italian companies, dealt with humanitarian issues, in particular, the rehabilitation of children from the areas contaminated after the Chernobyl accident,” he added.
Antonio Sottile says that he has “many friends in Belarus, and I can proudly say that for the first time Belarusians have become not an object, but a subject of history”.
In accordance with the Consular Charter of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, in agreement with the host state may entrust honorary consuls with the performance of certain consular functions. They can be both citizens of the Republic of Belarus and foreign citizens who occupy “a worthy position in the social, economic, cultural or other spheres of the host state, possess the necessary personal qualities and also have the ability to properly perform the functions assigned to them” [a quotation from Resolution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “On approval of the Regulations on the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belarus”]. The Honorary Consul is not a civil servant of the Republic of Belarus and does not receive any monetary remuneration from Belarus for the performance of his functions. Antonio Sotille is no longer on the list of honorary consulates of Belarus in Italy.
3 March 2021, 00:56
Antonio Sottile. Doctor of Science in Fashion Industry. In Belarus, he opened Baldinini boutique, Coccinelle boutique, and Pollini boutique
“I have already talked with the staff of Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and the Belarusian Embassy in Italy. My choice is the choice of conscience because I firmly believe in the values that my parents instilled in me and which I pass on to my three children: democracy, freedom, respect for human rights and non-violence. In Belarus, more than 27,000 people were detained and subjected to intimidation, persecution and torture,” says Antonio Sottile.
According to the official, he also took into account the fact that the OSCE confirmed that “the elections on 9 August did not meet international standards and were neither free nor fair. Europe does not recognize the results of these elections. The European Parliament did not recognize Lukashenko as president and calls for new elections under international control. ”
“I was an honorary consul for almost ten years, and I can say that I carried out my mission as honestly as possible. I developed ties between Belarusian business and Italian companies, dealt with humanitarian issues, in particular, the rehabilitation of children from the areas contaminated after the Chernobyl accident,” he added.
Antonio Sottile says that he has “many friends in Belarus, and I can proudly say that for the first time Belarusians have become not an object, but a subject of history”.
Who is an honorary consul?
In accordance with the Consular Charter of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, in agreement with the host state may entrust honorary consuls with the performance of certain consular functions. They can be both citizens of the Republic of Belarus and foreign citizens who occupy “a worthy position in the social, economic, cultural or other spheres of the host state, possess the necessary personal qualities and also have the ability to properly perform the functions assigned to them” [a quotation from Resolution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “On approval of the Regulations on the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belarus”]. The Honorary Consul is not a civil servant of the Republic of Belarus and does not receive any monetary remuneration from Belarus for the performance of his functions. Antonio Sotille is no longer on the list of honorary consulates of Belarus in Italy.
