Supreme Soviet Delegation Meets Council of Europe Secretary General :: Charter'97 :: News

The 13th Supreme Soviet MPs, Anatoly Lebedko and Elena Skrigan, and the deputy chairman of the United Civil Party Yaroslav Romanchuk had a meeting with the Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer. It was their last meeting at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. At the meeting the representatives of Belarusian opposition emphasized the future cooperation of Belarus with this organization, with the obligatory participation of the wide civil coalition and with the requirement that the political repression in Belarus finished. As Anatoly Lebedko underlined, Walter Schwimmer’s attitude towards Belarus is very warm and he is familiar with the problems of the country. Walter Schwimmer remarked that opposition’s standpoint would be considered in the future strategy of Europe in its contacts with Belarus.

The delegation had more than 20 meetings in committees, political groups and with certain influential politicians of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

“We have passed the point of political campaign under the name ‘presidential election’. We should analyze it, but at the same time we should look forward to tomorrow. Firstly, we would like that all the actions of the international institutions were coordinated, in the format of the Ministers’ Committee resolution of September 25 and the PACE resolution of January. We are interested that the measures were taken according to these documents”, -- said Anatoly Lebedko in his interview to Radio Svaboda.

In general the MPs are satisfied with their four-day work in the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg. They arrive to Minsk today, and the official delegation of the so-called “chamber of representatives” took off for Minsk the day before.