Vilnius conference on situation in Belarus after “parliamentary elections”

The Council of Europe, uniting 47 countries, organises a conference in Vilnius on the situation in Belarus after the “parliamentary elections”.

Belarus had a special guest status in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) till the middle 1990s. But it was deprived of this status after the Assembly recognised undemocratic referendum of 1996 and dismissal of the Supreme Council. The Belarusian authorities have made several unsuccessful attempts to return t Strasbourg.

In September, the “parliamentary elections” were held in Belarus. According to OSCE observers, they fell short of international standards.

As RIA Novosti learnt from an officer of the Council of Europe, participants of the conference are to discuss “measures against rigging of elections results, support of civil society, and steps to expand freedom of media.”