Andrei Sannikov: «After European March every use of police club will hit the authorities on the head»

15 October in Riga the conference Europe at the Crossroads: Agenda from Riga to Bucharest took place. Meaning NATO Summit that took place last year in Riga and NATO Summit that would be held in Bucharest next year. It is a traditional Riga conference, with the main points being security, development of the European integration, Trans-Atlantic cooperation. As a rule, the high-ranked official representatives of Europe and the USA and the heads of the Baltic States take part in the conference. This year President of Estonia H.E. Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former President of Latvia Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga and current Persident Valdis Zatlers took part in the conference. The representatives of the states outside the European Union, in particular, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova also participated. Belarus was represented by Iryna Krasouskaya, head of the foundation “We Remember” and Andrei Sannikov, international coordinator of Charter’97.

Andrei Sannikov has answered the questions of Charter’97 press center.

- Mr. Sannikov, what the impressions you have of the conference?

- The conference was rich and compact: it lasted practically one day. The issues of Euro-Atlantic policy towards the new European countries, energy problems, questions of the European integration development were discussed. It’s a rare occasion to be at the conference where presidents of states are not only present, but take active part. Apparently, in that, in particular, the lawfully elected heads of state differ from post-Soviet feudals. Belarusian topic was also present. It can be noticed that this year, unlike the previous Riga conferences, the Belarusian issue was not only provoking interest and concern about the situation in the country, it was felt that the Europeans had expectations of coming changes in Belarus.

- Was the possibility of energy cooperation with Belarus discussed?

- It was. There were expressed different points of view on the possible cooperation with Belarus on energy projects connected with Europe. But yet these connections are limited, reduced mainly to solving the near-border problems, that it is not possible to speak about Belarus’s serious participation in such projects. By the way, a week before the Riga conference the Energy Summit took place in Vilnius, where the EU countries and the neighbouring states made a number of important decisions concerning energy security. But Belarus wasn’t present at that summit.

- Was the European March that took place 14 October in Minsk mentioned on the conference?

- It was. The people were interested how it was held. In my speech I touched upon the European March and all the things that preceded it. I mean repressions against the organizers and activists. I explained the format of the demonstration itself. I hadn’t to tell much, as the conference participants knew about the march, had followed the events in Minsk 14 October.

- In your opinion, what was the difference between the march and other opposition actions?

- It should be noted, that the European March was declared not only as a peaceful demonstration in support of the European proposals, but as the offer to the authorities to have a dialog in connection with the demonstration. Moreover, the dialog on the concrete event could have developed into a discussion and search for solutions to serious economic problems facing Belarus. Evidently, the authorities need to wait until the problems aggravate, to understand what the opposition have offered.

The European March has become an answer of the Belarusian democratic movement to the EU address to Belarus, Belarusian people. The very initiative emerged from the civil society and was supported by practically all political and public organizations in the country. It is important to note that the EU in the statements of its officials, for example, Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and High Representative Javier Solana referred to the European March namely as the reaction to the EU proposals. So, the civil society of Belarus received the support of the EU and signalled clearly the desire of the Belarusian people to move towards Europe. I think, in great degree due to the close attention of the EU leadership to the peaceful demonstration in Minsk we can explain the fact that the authorities didn’t dare to use force directly during the demonstration, as they did not once. Yet, the facts taken place during the preparation of the European March haven’t gone unnoticed in Europe.

Slovakian charge d’affaires to Belarus Lubomir Rehak, representing the EU in Minsk was absolutely right when he spoke about the context of the march preparation. The mean behavior of the authorities, who threw democratic activists to the prisons, has demonstrated once again who is hindering s good relations between Belarus and the EU. The same High Representative of the EU Javier Solana said in the interview to Charter’97 press center. In particular, he noted that due to the positions of the Belarusian authorities, the EU - Belarus relationship is still very much in its early stages.

-- How do you view the results of the European March? You were in the European March negotiation group…

- The European March has become a significant event in political life of Belarus.

One needn’t be too wise to understand that Europe can save independent Belarus today. The representatives of the official Minsk are asking Brussels to help, but are going on to deny obstinately the European values. But then the opposition has united on the European March to support these values. The authorities can’t put to prisons the European politicians for not wanting to live according to Lukashenka’s laws and that’s why they direct their fury at democratic activists in Belarus. But after the European March every imprisonment of an oppositionist, every use of a police club will hit the authorities on the head.

In spite of the fact we hadn’t receive an answer to written and oral addresses of the opposition to the authorities, we know there is positive reaction of the official persons in the government and president’s administration to the proposed by the democratic forces way out of the political and economic deadlock.

Speaking about the results of the European March, it should be noted that due to it the solidarity campaign that goes on in many European countries has acquired a new quality. The Solidarity Days taking place every 16th day of a month in the European cities will become the support of the European aspirations in our country.

- Will the European March continue?

- Certainly. Many people say so, in particular Viktar Ivashkevich, head of the European March organizing committee.

In Belarus, even according to the official information, the number of supporters of closer relations with Europe is growing. Thus we should expect that the European sentiments will strengthen and the European campaign will take new forms.

Today the authorities don’t conduct a dialog with the opposition, stubbornly trying to prove their superiority by force. But the police force does not help to reform economy or lower the energy prices. The dialog between the authorities and opposition concerning the European March has not been conducted, but the problems hindering the cooperation with Europe have been determined. The EU proposals supported by the democratic forces of Belarus are on the future negotiating table. Here exists the full mutual understanding and firm position of the EU on the issues. Among these conditions I would mark three main ones, which we should concentrate on. Firstly, it is release of all the political prisoners and stopping of political persecutions, secondly – freedom of information, thirdly – free elections.