January 16, Pozirk. Plans by Vilnius-based Belarusian opposition politicians to print passports for exiled opponents have sparked a debate in Lithuania over the use of the Pahonia coat of arms, which is similar to Lithuania’s official emblem depicting a mounted knight.
Commenting on similarities between Lithuania’s Vytis and Belarus’ Pahonia (Pursuit), the Lithuanian foreign ministry told the ELTA news agency that Vytis is different from the coat of arms used on the passport of democratic Belarus, Delfi reported.
The Lithuanian government is not involved in the Belarusian pro-democracy forces’ initiative, the ministry stressed.
Propaganda is using the theme of state symbols to pit Lithuanians against the Belarusian pro-democracy forces, it said, noting that the debate was incited by Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime.
However, Remigijus Motuzas, chairman of Lithuania’s parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, cautioned against recognizing the alternative Belarusian passport.
“This step is somewhat hasty. A more thorough analysis and consultations are needed. The passport is both the Schengen zone and the EU space. This is an extremely sensitive issue,” he said.
He pointed out that Belarusians in Lithuania should apply for residence permits or asylum instead. He suggested that New Belarus passports should be a symbolic paper rather than an ID.
Asked about the coat of arms depicted on the passport, Motuzas said: “My first reaction was negative as if this was some aspiration for Lithuanian statehood. However, we should talk to members of Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s office. Perhaps they just wanted to show that they live here and are loyal to our symbols.”
Earlier, MPs from the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats party expressed concern the passport features the Lithuanian coat of arms, apparently confusing it with Pahonia.
Despite the controversy, the Belarusian opposition passport center in Vilnius intends to print the IDs soon. On January 14, project manager Marius Gudelaitis said the pro-democracy forces were considering launching similar centers in Poland and Ukraine.
The passport center will start accepting applications on January 26. The formal launch of the acceptance process is timed to coincide with a presidential poll in Belarus.
The Belarusian opposition launched the passport initiative after Alaksandar Łukašenka signed an edict in September 2023, ordering Belarusian missions abroad to stop providing passport services to Belarusians.
Commenting on prospects of New Belarus passport recognition, opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja said, in May 2024: “If one leader steps forward and says: ‘I will not allow dictators to think that people are their property, that they can destroy hundreds of thousands of families,’ others would follow, I am absolutely sure of it. If a hundred countries recognize this document, the rest would do the same.”
Also read: New Belarus passport launch timed to coincide with Łukašenka’s election
