Andrei Sannikov: It’s high time to evaluate results of Europe’s new policy soderly

The leader of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Andrei Sannikov has commented on the article of the heads of Foreign Ministries of Italy and Lithuania.

The article of Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Lithuanian Minister Vygaudas Ušackas called “European Belarus” was published on October 13 by European Voice.

“The article of the two ministers seems to be written last August. Then Europeans had hopes that some changes are possible in Belarus under Lukashenka’s regime. However, over the year the regime has proved the opposite, having carried out parliamentary elections in its usual manner, unleashing new crackdown on the opposition and civil society, with the use of torture, physical violence and dirty libeling. The political prisoners have been exchanged by the new ones. One can fully agree to the argument of the article that Belarus needs Europe. But exactly Belarus needs it, the Belarusian nation, and not the regime ruling the country. The period of thaw in the relations of Europe to Belarusian authorities has vividly shown who stands in the way of Belarus to Europe, and who hinders development of normal relations of Europe with Belarus,” Andrei Sannikov has said in his comment to europeanbelarus.org website.

According to the politician, it follows from the article that some European politicians still hope to reform Lukashenka.

“It looks very strange, considering the reaction of people in the Baltic states to recent manoeuvres in Belarus with participation of an unprecedented number of Russian troops and military equipment. One of the aims of these exercises was to train “penetrating the blockade of Kaliningrad” through the territory of Lithuania. To see no threat coming from such military preparations means to pay little attention to European international security.

Only the democratic opposition and civil society are guarantors of normal development of Belarus, renewal of full-fledged relations with Europe, reinforcement of security in the region. Free election in Belarus won’t take place if Europe would close the eyes to its basic values: human rights and freedoms. Free elections won’t take place if support of Lukashenka’s regime explained by implausible geopolitical interests would continue. The issue of democracy in Belarus shouldn’t be exchange by the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognition. Such a substitution of notions allows Lukashenka to do bargaining I two directions, in the East and in the West, rather successfully.

I understand the attempts of the two ministers to explain the opening possibilities for cooperation with Europe to the Belarusian regime once again. But it’s high time to look at the results of the new Europe’s politics towards Belarus and estimate them soberly,” the leader of the “European Belarus” stated.