Sweden to push for more attention to Belarus on part of EU, official says :: Charter'97 :: News

A high-ranking official with the Swedish foreign ministry stressed that his country would continue its dialog with the Belarusian government and push for more attention to relations with Belarus within the European Union (EU). “We will make sure that the EU keeps and actually increases its engagement with Belarus, especially with the aim of contributing to opening up Belarusian society and promoting democracy here,” Olof Skoog, director general for political affairs at the Swedish foreign ministry, said in an interview with BelaPAN.

Mr. Skoog stayed in Minsk on Wednesday, holding talks with Belarusian officials, representatives of international organizations and civil society.

The Swedish official said the purpose of his visit was “to build my own opinion of the situation here.”

“I came here and talked to different people to see how we can better achieve our objectives,” he said. “I think I have a better picture now of how things stand in Belarus. In my talks with government officials, including the foreign minister, I was assured that the government is committed to seeking better relations with the European Union. We want to contribute to that. But we also made very clear that there are some obstacles that we need to try to overcome.”
Mr. Skoog noted “deficiency in democracy and political freedoms and rights” in Belarus but expressed hope that the situation would change for the better.

Although Sweden shares the EU’s critical stance regarding Belarus, it is still engaged in the country “with trade and cultural events,” according to the official. “We try with our cooperation to reach out to a broader part of Belarusian society,” he stressed.

Mr. Skoog noted that Sweden would remain open for cooperation with Belarusian civil society and the public and share its experience of “creating a society which is economically viable but has social awareness and is environment-friendly.” “There is interest in this kind of cooperation in your country in general,” he said.

The official promised that Sweden would continue providing technical assistance to Belarus, in particular in the sphere of combating human trafficking. “We see Belarus as part of Europe. We feel solidarity with the people of Belarus. We also feel that it’s in our own interest to make sure that Belarus becomes a full cooperative member of the family of European values.”

Mr. Skoog expressed certainty that the two countries would continue their political dialog. “We have diplomatic relations. You have the embassy in Stockholm, we have an active diplomatic presence here. The dialog will go on.”

According to the official, Belarus has “a tremendous potential” for establishing full-scale cooperation with Europe.