Alyaksandr Milinkevich met with French president on Victory Day
10:43, — Politics
Leader of the “For Freedom” movement Alyaksandr Milinkevich had a meeting with French President Nikolas Sarkozy on 9 May. They had a meeting in Paris in the Élysée Palace, residence of the French president.
According to Milinkevich, the main aim of his visit to Paris is to activate a position of France and specify the EU activity in Belarus. France will hold the presidency of the European Union since 1 July.
“I am very glad to have met with Nikolas Sarkozy. It was a sincere, open and meaningful meeting. The French President is well acquainted with the situation in Belarus. From 1 July France will take over the EU presidency, and the EU’s foreign policy undoubtedly depends much on the country, holding 6-month presidency of the European Union. France would like to promote democratisation of our country. We spoke that first of all the Belarusian government should release political prisoners and hold free election in the country. A question of supporting of independent mass media, the repressed people as well as civil society was raised,” Milinkevich told.
On 8 May Alyaksandr Milinkevich and his wife Ina Kulei, head of the Committee of Help for Repressed, took part in the celebrations of the Victory Day in the World War II in Paris.
It wasn’t a first meeting between Alyaksandr Milinkevich and Nikolas Sarkozy. Former united democratic forces candidate for presidency in Belarus met with Nikolas Sarkozy in Marseille in autumn 2006, when the latter took post of Minister of Interior of France.
As we have already reported, Alyaksandr Milinkevich also met with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, French politicians, public figures and media representatives.
