Merkel calls Belarus opposition leader to support free elections there

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks to the media during her visit at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, in Berlin, Germany, November 22, 2021. Markus Schreiber/Pool via REUTERS

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel talked on the phone with Belarusian opposition leader in exile Svetlana Tikhanouskaya about the political crisis in Belarus and the "difficult situation" at the border with the European Union, a government spokesperson said on Monday.

"The Chancellor underlined the continued support of the Federal Government for the Belarusian democracy movement and stressed that the political leadership of the country must end the repression against the opposition and independent journalists, release prisoners and enter into a serious dialogue with society in order to resolve the crisis through fair and free elections," spokesperson Steffen Seibert said.