The latest diplomatic spat over Swedish activists’ ‘teddy bear drop’ campaign to promote democracy and civil rights in Belarus — Europe’s last dictatorship — is getting ugly with the withdrawal and expulsion of diplomats. Belarus has expelled all Swedish diplomats from its capital Minsk while recalling its ambassador to Sweden and its entire embassy staff.
Belarus was angered when a Swedish public relations firm dropped about 800 teddy bears with pro-democracy messages from a light aircraft on July 4. President Alexander Lukashenko sacked his air defence chief and head of border guards over the incident.
The controversy is snowballing between the two European countries in such a way that it could reach a point of no return — something that is not good for either side. Both governments are taking hardline positions in a matter which is best dismissed.
Both countries should engage in a dialogue that could resolve the differences amicably. Although ‘teddy bear drop’ is an innovative campaign, the Swedish company should look at better ways to promote cross-border democracy — ways that do not become the source of a diplomatic row.
