Andrei Sannikov: «Authorities could discuss the problems of energy security with European Commission today»

The European Commission delegation headed by Hilde Hardeman, Head of Unit for Relations with Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus of Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia Directorate at the European Commission’s External Relations and Neighborhood Policy Directorate-General.

Answering the proposal of the Embassy of Slovakia that represents the EU in Belarus, Miss Hardeman met the Belarusian civil society representatives – Yaraslau Ramanchuk, deputy chairman of the United Civil Party, head of Mises Center and Andrei Sannikov, Charter’97 international coordinator.

“I told in particular about the situation in Belarus on the eve of the European March. The democratic forces did their best for the inner-Belarusian dialog to be held. There is still an interest in nonconfrontational development of events in Belarus. But the forces have appeared that by all means hinder the process of dialog and the relations between Belarus and the EU. We have informed about all occasions of arrests for European symbols, printing materials with the information about the EU proposals to Belarusian people, European flags. Naturally, we view these facts negatively and in response to the mean actions of Belarusian law-enforcement bodies we should expect the proper reaction of the EU”, - Andrei Sannikov declared in the interview to Charter’97 press center.

Andrei Sannikov remarked that the European Commission Delegation visit has technical character. “The serious questions are not even discussed with the authorities. Though such serious questions as energy security and trade-economic relations could be discussed. The absence of progress in the cooperation with Europe is connected with position of the authorities that continue stubbornly not to react to proposals made by Belarusian democratic forces and the EU. The first condition to the development of the relations with Belarus is the discharge of the political prisoners and stopping the political repressions”, - Charter’97 international coordinator noted.