EU proposed 12 requirements for Belarusian regime again

Christian Homann, Spokesperson for Commissioner responsible for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, thinks the Belarusian authorities should return to 12 conditions that the European Union called key requirements for developing of the European-Belarusian relations in November 2006.

On November 4–5, Hugues Mingarelli, Deputy Director General of the Directorate General for External Relations of the European Commission, paid a visit to Minsk.

As representatives of the Belarusian opposition told after a meeting, Mr Mingarelli spoke about five items of “roadmap", which is to set up stages for normalising relations between Belarus and the EU. Four demands are included in the “homework”, proposed by the opposition. These are changes in electoral laws; equal conditions for media and access of opposition to state-run media; conditions for normal activity of political parties; cancelling of articles of the Criminal Code providing criminal persecution for public and political activity. The fifths requirement of the EU is moratorium on political prisoners.

It is unknown to the wide public whether Mr Mingarelli and vice premier Andrei Kabyakou spoke about the “roadmap” and five requirements. The reports mention only words of the European official on necessary democratic reforms in Belarus, in particular, in the sphere of human rights, rule of law and democratisation, “Belorusskie Novosti” reports.

Information leaked from Andrei Kabyakou. He said, “The Belarusian side realises it must do the “homework”, we had been given by the EU.” He also emphasised that Minsk counted on “adequate responsive steps of the EU”.

However, Belarusian MFA spokesman Andrei Papou in fact disavowed vice premier’s remark. According to his information, the parties are continuing consultations to bring the cooperation into a practical area where the parties have an utterly clear mutual interest. Minsk and Brussels spoke about trade, energy security, customs cooperation, development of transit infrastructure. Papou said the proposals of the European Union “offer an apparent practical interest to us”.

Christian Homann, Spokesperson for Commissioner responsible for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, gave in an interview to BelaPAN and returned to 12 proposals that were named key requirements for developing of the relations between Belarus and the EU in November 2006. According to her, these requirements are a “roadmap” for the Belarusian authorities. The representative of the European commissioner’s press service thinks this plan is rather detailed.

Ms Homann refused to comment on the visit and its results, referred to technical character r of Mr Mingarelli’s visit to Minks. She reminded that the European Union was still ready to develop relations with Belarus. However, the spokesperson said it was too early to discuss this issue in details or plan official visits of representatives of Minsk and Brussels, because the Belarusian authorities should take further steps forward first.

It should be reminded that the European Union insists on fulfilling 12 conditions of democratisation by the Belarusian regime. Among them are:

– release all political prisoners,

– investigate the cases of disappeared politicians and a journalist,

– carry out really free and fair elections, without fraud and rigging,

– stop interference with work of courts,

– respect the right of the people of Belarus to independent information and to express themselves freely,

– stop intervening in private business,

– respect the rights of non-governmental organisations and trade unions,

– respect the rights and freedoms of those Belarusian citizens who belong to national

minorities, etc.