Europe is expecting democratic changes from Belarusian authorities :: Charter'97 :: News

If Belarus demonstrates readiness for cooperation with the European Union, the dialogue with the country will have to be conducted comprehensively and under strict conditions. This was declared by president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering when opening the European Parliament hearing of the Belarus issue in Brussels 8 February. On behalf of the deputies president of the European Parliament appealed to Alyksandr Lukashenka for “opening gates of prisons and immediate releasing of all the political prisoners”.

It is head’s of the European Parliament opinion that the policy of isolation of representatives of the “undemocratic Belarusian regime” is to be continued coincidentally with rendering support to the civil society, independent mass media in Belarus and for Belarus along with supporting Belarusian students ”, reports BelaPAN.

Rene van der Linden, head of PACE remarked in his speech that” in the current situation it is the Belarusian government which has to make the first step forward and show its readiness to start the dialogue”.

Rene van der Linden pointed out that isolation of Belarus had not given essential results and stressed the importance of a step-by-step policy with regard to the country and of continuous pressure upon Russia. He criticized the European visa policy which, according to him, “creates a sort of a separating line”, and called for opening borders to Belarusian students.

Helga Schmidt, head of planning department of the Council of European Union-representative of the supreme commissioner of the European Union on general international policy and security responsible for Belarus, backed employment of all the resources available with the European Union for establishing the relations with Belarus. Meanwhile she pointed out that the dialogue had to be based on the European values. And she added that the productive relationship was equally important both to Belarus and European Union.

Schmidt called the European policymakers ”to continue attempts of normalization the relationship with Belarus”. According to her, relations between the official Minsk and European Union depend on the situation inside Belarus but not on its relationship with other countries.

As BelaPAN reports, head of the general directorate of the European Commission on international policy Eneko Landaburu and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs David Kramer also spoke at the parliament hearing of the Belarus’ issue. They said that the European Union was expecting from the Belarusian authorities steps towards normalization of its relationship with the world community.

“The ball is at the Belarusian side of the political field”, declared E. Landaburu. And he also mentioned the new strategy of the European Union regarding Belarus, which ”has not lost its significance, yet”.

The European diplomat considers that presently Belarus is at the crossroad and may ”take another road of development”. “ Evidently, Belarus has to pay a higher price for Russian gas and this fact will affect the economic development of the republic, its economy and GDP”, Landaburu told. In his view, this is the very moment for Belarus to take the road of economic reforms, to leave aside the command economy and assure its energy security.

E.Landaburu also spoke about support of “those Belarusians who struggle for freedom and democracy”.
According to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, the United States speaks actively in favor of promoting the independent civil society of Belarus and democratization of the country. Thus the following aims are pursued: development of the civil society, support of independent radio and TV broadcasting, training of young political leaders, support of “ independent voices eager to tell the truth about the situation in Belarus”, Kramer said.

The diplomat admitted, that the USA pursues a step-by-step policy towards Belarus but the US authorities have not yet received the proofs of the Belarusian authorities’ readiness and interest in closer relationship. ”Declarations of the Belarusian authorities concerning their readiness do not match their deeds”, Kramer stated.

He also stressed that the Act 2 on democracy in Belarus provides additional tools to the US authorities for rendering support to those striving for democratization of the country, reports BelaPAN.

Dwelling on the issue of the Belarusian- European relations the diplomat declared that the changes in their relations should be preceded by the ”really significant changes”. Among those Kramer mentioned release of the political prisoners, withdrawal of pressure upon the civil society and independent mass media as well as free and fair elections.