Relations with Europe are not in the competence of Lukashenka’ Administration

Deputy head of president’s administration Natallia Piatkevich has responded to the letter of the representatives of the European March negotiation group.

Miss Piatkevich declared that “the questions raised in the letter do not refer to the competence of President’s Administration of the Republic of Belarus”. It should be reminded that the negotiation group participants have appealed to Natallia Piatkevich with the offer of a meeting. The democrats offered not only to discuss the issues of organizing and holding of the European March, but also the ways out of the political and economical crisis with the help of the intra-Belarusian dialogue and normalization the relations between Belarus and the European Union.

Viktar Ivashkevich, European March organizing committee head received from the deputy head of president’s administration the letter running as:

“The president’s administration studied the collective appeal on the organizing and holding in Minsk a mass event – the European March.

According to the legislation the questions raised in the letter do not refer to the competence of the president’s administration of the Republic of Belarus. According to the law “About the mass events in the Republic of Belarus” the requests for holding the mass events are studied by local administrative and executive agencies.

In this connection, your appeal is sent to Minsk City Executive Committee”.

So, Miss Piatkevich avoided the meeting with the European March organizers. But it should be noticed that the problems raised in the appeal are worthy of serious consideration.

Letter of European March Organizing Committee to Deputy Head of President’s Administration Natallia Pyatkevich

Distinguished Natalia Vladimirovna,

We are writing to you on behalf of the organizing committee of the European March which is to be held on October 14, 2007. We would like to offer a meeting to discuss the issues of organizing and holding the March. Please, appoint the meeting at your convenience.

The initiative of holding the March emerged as a result of the opposition’s aspiration to assist closer relations of Belarus and Europe. The state institutions have repeatedly expressed concern about consolidation of the European oriented policies, which has also stipulated the initiative. As demonstrated today by the official view point, a general understanding of the ways for the development of Belarus is being formed in our country. We still have different views on many basic issues, but these controversies may not necessarily lead to a conflict within the Belarusian society. Today we have an opportunity of transforming this confrontation into a fruitful cooperation, of finding the common points that can assist further development of our country.

The views of the state and the opposition on the necessity of strengthening of the country’s independence are alike. Both the state and the opposition have done much for that. The opposition has been emphasizing the need to preserve the independence not only for the Belarusian people, but for the support of European values and for the maintenance of the international peace. The authorities in their turn have been sustaining Belarus’ actual economic independence.

Both the opposition and the authorities agree that the cooperation with Europe gives many opportunities to Belarus, including elimination of the economic difficulties that the country can face after the prices for energy supplies grow.

Both the state and the opposition agree that the new neighborhood policy of the European Union should not contradict Belarus’ concerns, which regards visa prices, combat of the organized crime and other essential issues of the cooperation with united Europe.

There are more aspects that the opposition and the authorities agree on. This is a matter of the Belarusian people’s fate, not the interests of the opposition and the authorities. Hence we cannot but notice this historic coincidence.

As upholders of the European oriented policy consider, the future of Belarus is closely linked with the European Union. Thus the sooner the country starts moving towards Europe, the more efficient the attempts made by the state to increase the well-being of the people will get.

There is a moment in life and history of every nation when making a decision is unavoidable: personal, political and historic decision. Such decision demands courage and sincerity and can be made today.

The idea of negotiating on the future of our country is a positive one. It can be supported by responsible and intelligent people. An official reply to the proposal of a dialogue still hasn’t been given. An agreement on mutual and peaceful demonstration in support of European values can become an actual start of the dialogue.

Just imagine, Natalia Vladimirovna that a peaceful demonstration in support of the European future for Belarus is being held in the center of our wonderful city on October 14. People come in high spirits; nobody is afraid of pointless provocations or violence demonstrated by the people in uniform. People come with their families as Europeans to the center of the European city of Minsk. European celebrities are invited to hold a real European event together with Belarusian artists in front of the National Library… This is what we would like to see during the European March.

We realize that this proposal puts you in a delicate situation since in no country is an official allowed to make decisions without appropriate sanction. Nevertheless, we hope that in our message you will find a chance for Belarus, for all of us. We could discuss details of the issues mentioned and the plans of holding the European March at a meeting with you.

We hope for a favorable reply.

Viktor Ivashkevich

Stanislav Bogdankevich

Mikhail Marinich

Andrei Sannikov

Yuri Khodyko