Andres Herkel elected chairman of PACE subcommittee on Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

Andres Herkel of Estonia has become chairman of the Subcommittee on Belarus in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)`s Political Affairs Committee. As Jonas Cekuolis, the former head of the subcommittee, told BelaPAN, Mr. Herkel was elected through a general vote at thhe subcommittee`s special meeting held in Strasbourg on January 25. On Wednesday, the PACE Political Affairs Committee confirmed the appointment.

Mr. Cekuolis noted that under general rules, one person cannot head a PACE unit for more than two years. He described his successor as a “resolute and responsible” person.

As Mr. Herkel said in an interview with Russia`s Regnum news agency, the subcommittee’s main purpose is to help develop democratic freedoms and human rights in Belarus. “Aleksandr Lukashenko’s regime does not leave any room for full-fledged cooperation and the development of bilateral ties.”

According to him, the parliamentary elections and constitutional referendum held in Belarus this past fall evidenced the difference of opinions about democratic processes between PACE and the Belarusian authorities.

“We will welcome any positive changes in Belarus provided they do not run counter to the values of the European Union," Mr. Herkel said. "For the time being, we are not ready to recognize the legitimacy of Aleksandr Lukashenko’s government.”

In 1997, Belarus was deprived of its “special guest” status in the Council of Europe and remains the only state in Eastern Europe that is not a member of the organization.

The subcommittee is scheduled to have its next meeting on January 27.