What Petras spoke about.

20

Oct

2021

LT Speech

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Pushbacks at the EU's external border (debate)

The Chair, Honourable Commissioner, dear colleagues. The Belarusian authorities are organising the criminal and systematic export of seduced and deceived third-country nationals to the European Union. If you want to hear from me, this is twenty-first-century slavery, in the true sense of the word. The policy of pushing migrants is used by Lukashenka. His regime exploits migrants and cynically accu…

19

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation (debate)

Mr President, the political ambitions and growing global assertiveness of communist China pose an increasing challenge and strategic threat to Taiwan’s democratic future and wellbeing of Taiwanese. A notion of peaceful coexistence has been replaced by political intimidation, military pressure and hybrid provocations. We rightly commend Taiwan as a trusted partner in promoting human rights and free…

5

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression (debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues, there is no single article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that the Lukashenko regime has not broken. And, again, my appreciation and solidarity go to the Belarusian people, civil society and the democratic opposition, who have endured and continue the heroic struggle for a future democratic Belarus. The Lukashenko regime is in full d…

14

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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Situation in Afghanistan (debate)

Madam President, Mr High Representative, dear colleagues, after 20 years of fighting international and domestic terrorist groups in Afghanistan, the immense efforts to build a state with education and healthcare to everyone were left with prevailing uncertainty and a lasting hope to sustain the achievements so cherished by the Afghan people. Complete withdrawal of NATO and partner countries’ force…

8

Jul

2021

EN Speech

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Hong Kong, notably the case of Apple Daily

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, colleagues, the city of Hong Kong, which once was the most free and admired economic centre in Asia, attracting professionals and investments from the European Union, is being turned into yet another authoritarian dominion of the Chinese Communist Party. A year ago, we warned for good reason, the Chinese Government against the national security law, which violates…

6

Jul

2021

EN Speech

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EU global human rights sanctions regime (EU Magnitsky Act) (debate)

Madam President, in defence and protection of human rights worldwide, we must employ the full range of instruments to prevent and eradicate the causes of human rights violations. It is time to add corruption to the list of crimes sanctioned by the European Union’s Magnitsky Act. It is not right that the sanctions regime called after Sergei Magnitsky cannot be applied to Putin’s cronies who are mis…