Radoslaw Sikorski: We decided to establish EED after events of 19 December 2010 in Belarus

The European Endowment for Democracy has been opened in Brussels.

The European Commission, a number of the EU countries and Switzerland launched a new initiative to support democracy in the EU neighbouring countries after the crackdown in Belarus following the mass protests against the rigged elections on December 19, 2010, and the Arab Spring.

The opening ceremony took place in Brussels on May 27. The ceremony was attended by Foreign Minister of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski, Foreign Minister of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius, Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs Elmar Brok, Chairman of the EP Delegation for relations with Belarus Filip Kaczmarek, former Foreign Minister of Slovakia and expert at the German Marshall Fund Pavol Demeš, member of the European Parliament Marek Migalski, President of the Foundation for International Solidarity Krzysztof Stanowski, representatives embassies and the Belgian MFA, experts and analysts.

Polish Foreign Minister Yerzy Pomianowski, who is known for his principled position on dictatorships, was appointed executive director of the European Endowment for Democracy.

Journalists from Belarus, Ukraine, Tunisia, Armenia and Azerbaijan were invited as special guests. Belarus was represented by Natallia Radzina, the editor-in-chief of the website charter97.org, and Uladzimir Labkovich, a member of the Council of Viasna human rights centre.

The websites charter97.org and Viasna HRC were displayed on monitors at the opening ceremony.

Representatives of Belarusian opposition and human rights activists also attended the event.

Radoslaw Sikorski, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, said at the ceremony to open the EED headquarters:

“It took us more than two years to open the European Endowment for Democracy. The first idea to establish it came in early 2011. It was time to take decisive actions. A month passed after the events of December 2010, when democratic aspirations of thousands of Belarusians were again suppressed by the Lukashenka regime. Some months later, people took to streets in North Africa. I had to say with regret that the EU neighbours didn't have democracy two years after these events. It means we have a great work to do. Firstly, we need to help our partners be heard.

By opening the EED we pay back the debt given to the Poles as aid in the 1980s. This event demonstrates that our country has technologies and possibilities to promote democracy in other states, not only those in Europe.

I am happy this idea appeared in Poland and became true. We have the Endowment, the headquarters in the building of the former Polish embassy, the director from Poland and 25 million euro for the first three years of our activity.”

Elmar Brok, the Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the aim of the EED was to strengthen democracy in the EU neighbouring countries:

“The main goal of the Endowment is to strengthen democracy and rule of law in the EU's eastern and southern neighbour countries. I hope our activity will help others use the standards of democracy that we already have. I believe that the Endowment is important. Dictatorial regimes are not ready for progress and accepting European values, so I hope our organisation will help achieve it and inspire changes.”

The European Endowment for Democracy will help journalists, bloggers, unregistered NGOs, political movements, also those in exile. The Endowment focuses on supporting democratic movements in Belarus, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Moldova, Syria,Ukraine and Palestine.

“What concerns Belarus, it's obvious that Belarus is among indisputable priorities of the Endowment. The EED (via Poland and me) will pay special attention to Belarus,” EDD Executive Director Jerzy Pomianowski said earlier.