Civil activists of “Eastern Partnership” countries presented united front (Photo)

17.11.2009, 17:31

Participants of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in Brussels demand freedom to political prisoners, freedom of speech, free elections and free visas from the EU and their governments.

Today the European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt delivered speeches at the Civil Society Forum.

The European Commissioner received the final document of the Forum, worked up by its participants for two days. The resolution was handed in by the leader of the Assembly of Non-governmental organisations of Belarus Syarhei Matskevich. The representative of Belarus had been chosen out of the huge number of the Forum’s participants – 240 organisations from 6 countries of the Eastern Partnership took place in the event. Syarhei Matskevich has been also elected coordinator of the largest platform of the Forum: “Democracy and Human Rights”.

In the final document participants of the Civil Society Forum cal upon the European Union to demand governments of the participating countries of the Eastern Partnership release of political prisoners, respect to human rights, holding free and democratic elections, freedom of speech and freedom of associations. It has been also stated in the document that “road map” of lifting visa regime for countries participants is needed. To start with, free multiple visas should be introduced.

This resolution of the Civil Society Forum is to be presented at the session of the Council of Ministers of the European Union in early December.

The European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner has assured participants of the Forum that all their recommendations would be taken into account. As said by her, the Eastern Partnership program reached the new stage of implementation thanks to the forum.

“The Commissioner said: previously all questions were discussed only between governments, and now you decide that directly. Your recommendations will be used. Cooperation without civil society is impossible. You will bring to your home country a message that we take the civil society very seriously,” charter97.org website was told by a representative of Charter’97 and “European Belarus” civil campaign Uladzimir Kobets.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt also addressed participants of the forum. He stated that the Eastern Partnership is one of the key initiatives, and today Europe declares importance of dissemination of the rule of law and market economy in the region. The politician assured that cooperation with the Eastern Partnership countries would be built not only at interstate level, but at the level of civil societies as well.

We remind that the first session of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was held in Brussels on November 16-17. The conference was organized by Sweden, the EU presiding country, the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). About 240 public associations from 6 partner countries: Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine were taking part in the meeting. Among them are NGOs, associations of employers and trade unions. Representatives of 27 organisations from Belarus were invited.