Bundestag MP: Europe shocked by recent events in Belarus

On Tuesday morning a press-conference of the member of the Greens in Bundestag Marieluise Beck was held in Minsk.

A MP of the German parliament Marieluise Beck has stated that the West must respond to the events in Minsk harshly, “Interfax-Zapad” informs.

“The West insists that it represents a system of values which involves a number of rights and freedoms. If the West would like to be taken seriously, it should give a powerful response to the events that have been taking place in Belarus for 10 days,” Marieluise Beck noted at the meeting with journalists in Minsk on Tuesday.

The member of the German parliament has also stated that “the OSCE should discuss the fact that one of its members disregards the fundamental principles of the Organisation.” Besides, M. Beck added that “the Eastern Committee of German Economy which took pride in good relations with Belarus should be involved in the discussion.”

As noted by M. Beck, “at the moment Germany is in Christmas slumber, and so far there is no unified stance on how the further discussion is to look like. We are in a state of shock. No one expected the events to take a more dramatic turn than in 2006,” she said.

Speaking about a possibility of renewing visa sanctions against Belarusian officials by the European Union, which had been suspended recently, M. Beck said: “I do not think that suspension of the visa sanctions would be continued.”

The MP stated that “aggravation of the political situation in the country demands expanding of free access to the EU countries for Belarusian citizens.” M. Beck reaffirmed her intention to facilitate visa regime for ordinary citizens of Belarus. “I have never understood the European Commission’s arguments that Belarusians should pay 60 euro for a visa because they live in an authoritarian state. The European Union is helping the regime to prevent people from travelling this way,” the MP noted. “I promise to submit this issue for consideration at the debates in the West more insistently,” M. Beck said.

The deputy of the German parliament has stated that release of the arrested in Minsk could positively influence the further relations of the West and Belarus. “Certainly, if all gates of prisons are opened tomorrow, all demonstrators released, including the ones kept in the KGB, it would mean that our vision of the Eastern partnership differs from today’s one,” M. Beck said. “I do not think whether it could be called bargaining or not. I’d say that it would be recognition of the fact that Lukashenka had understood that he cannot behave like this, and that he wants to keep the door open for a dialogue with the West. Then many people would be able to reconsider the situation once again,” the German MP Marieluise Beck stated.