German Social Democrats: There Are No Contacts With Belarusian “Parliament”

Ute Finck-Kramer’s statement on lifting the taboo regarding official contacts of German and Belarusian parliaments is her personal opinion.

This was reported by the press service of the SPD faction.

From 4 to 6 October, representatives of the German-Belarusian Parliamentary Friendship Group – its leader Oliver Kaczmarek and MP Ute Finck-Kramer (they are both members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany) stayed in Minsk. They met with Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makei and Deputy Economy Minister Dzmitry Krutoi, Chairman of the Council of the Republic Mikhail Miasnikovich, representatives of both “chambers” of the “national assembly,” BelaPAN reports.

Besides, the delegation met with representatives of civil society, visited the Belarusian-German children's health center “Hope” and the High-Tech Park.

"The meeting will open a new stage of inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, and we have in sights positive partnership development on the key issues,” – the National Assembly press service quoted Mikhail Miasnikovich. He also said that the group of friendship with Bundestag will be formed in the “national assembly” within the first days of the “parliament” session of the new convocation and “the sides will be able to use in full measure their potential for organizing a full-scale dialogue.”

Every day Finck-Kramer shared her impressions about staying in the Belarusian capital on Facebook. In particular, she noted that the city has changed in comparison with the year 1983, when she visited it last time. Makei, in her observation, can speak German very well, so that he does not need an interpreter, and her visit to “Hope” contrasted with the conversation on the NPP construction with the Ministry of Economy.

Finck-Kramer said in her interview to tut.by that the Belarusian “parliament” can’t be treated more critical than the Russian, Chinese or Azerbaijan ones. The Bundestag has established official contacts with all of these bodies. “We can say that the taboo on such contacts with the Parliament of Belarus has been lifted,” – she said.