European Commission disappointed by absence of reforms in Belarus

Development of relations between Belarus and the European Union is hindered by absence of new positive steps of both system-level gradual progress in the area of democratization.

It has been stated by Reinhold Brender, Deputy Director-General on relations with Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and South Caucasus of the Directorate General of the European Commission at a press-conference in Minsk on October 2, BelaPAN informs.

As said by Mr Brender, in October 2008 in response to a number of positive steps by Belarusian authorities, in particular, by release of all political prisoners, the EU adopted a decision to start normalization of relations and partially suspended sanctions against Belarusian officials.

“We would like to receive a possibility to unfreeze the Agreement on partnership and cooperation, intensify trade cooperation in which the EU countries are interested, to increase financial support to Belarus, which is less that for other countries of the region, to broaden contacts among people, in particular, by singing an agreement on facilitating visa regime,” a representative of the European Commission said.

Mr Brender noted that bilateral relations remain the main thing, and “they haven’t fully reached their potential”. Among “obstacles to bilateral relations which we cannot overcome still,” the official called “special concern over the situation in the sphere of mass media, and absence of possibility for the civil society to create organisations, and for political parties to work without restraint”.

The representative of the European Commission has expressed hope that the process of Belarusian-European interaction and reforms in Belarus is to go on simultaneously. “Belarus determines its future independently, and our proposal (to extend relations, and about the conditions of the relations’ expansion) remains in force”, Brender said.