European Union lays down conditions for Belarus

Belarus would be able to take part only in multilateral projects in the framework of the Eastern Partnership, the new policy of the European Union, as there is no bilateral part still.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, stated that at a press-conference in Brussels on April 23, BelaPAN informs.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner reminded that “Belarus itself had expressed a wish of rapprochement with the EU. We are open and we hope for progress <…>, that we would be able to cooperate with the authorities of Belarus in the future,” the EU commissioner said.

As said by her, the EU interacts with Belarusian NGOs and mass media. The European Commission started consultations with official representatives in certain spheres: transport, energy, climate changes.

The European Commissioner has noted that the full membership in the Eastern partnership program for Belarus “remains open, but certain conditions are to be fulfilled for that”. “You all know about the 5 recommendations we have done for Belarus,” Benita Ferrero-Waldner said.

As we have informed, in October 2008 the EU chose 5 recommendations as a basis for normalizing relations with Belarus out of 12: electoral laws reform, freedom of associations, creating conditions for NGO activities, freedom of press and lifting restrictions from freedom of person.

In February new political prisoners appeared in Belarus: leaders of entrepreneurs’ movement Mikalay Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka.

Other young people - Alyaksei Bondar, Maxim Dashuk, Alyaksandr Barazenka, Artsyom Dubski, Mikhal Kryvau, Mikhal Pashkevich, Ales Straltsou, Ales Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach and Paval Vinahradau are sentenced to restriction of freedom for participation in oppositional rallies.

In March a human rights activist Yana Palyakova committed suicide. She had been sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment.

Opposition rallies are cracked down upon by policemen with the use of force as before. Democrats still do not have an access to state-run mass media, and most independent newspapers still cannot be published and distributed on the territory of Belarus.