Benita Ferrero-Waldner: If Belarusians choose Europe, they would be welcomed with arms outstretched (Video)

Human rights are the key factor for development of relations between the official Minsk and the European Union, the EU Commissioner stated, summing up the results of the visit to Belarus.

After meetings with opposition activists and civil society representatives, as well as with Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the Foreign Minister Syarhei Martynau, the EU Commissioner for External Relations and the European Neighbourhood Policy, made a speech in “Europa” hotel in Minsk. Oppositional politicians and independent journalists, as well as state officials and journalists of state-run media took part in the meeting.

The European Commissioner stated that great possibilities are opened for Belarus today, both in the framework of the Eastern partnership program (Benita Ferrero-Waldner called herself “mother” of this project) and in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner stated that according to the EU leadership, the progress in the area of Belarus’ democratization has stopped. She reminded that the EU is based on such values as human rights, free elections, rule of law and freedom of the individual. And the EU links development of cooperation with Belarus only to progress in these areas, the European Commissioner noted.

As said by her, human rights are the key factor in development of relations between the official Minsk and the EU. “How we proceed together, depends on the choices Belarus will make for itself,” the EU Commissioner said, reminding that this March Europeans suspended sanctions against top Belarusian officials. In December Foreign Ministers of 27 EU countries are to decide again, whether to extend suspension of sanctions or to impose them again, Benita Ferrero-Waldner noted and said that she warned Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Syarhei Martynau about that.

The European Commissioner admitted that she had been waiting for a visit to Belarus for 4.5 years ago, and called it very symbolic that all her meetings in Minsk were held in “Europa” hotel. Mrs Ferrero-Waldner expressed her satisfaction over the fact that she had a chance to meet both with the regime’s representatives and with representatives of the civil society.

Answering the question what she discussed at the meeting with Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Benita Ferrero-Waldner confessed that the meeting lasted for 2.5 hours. The European Commissioner said that the EU is formulating terms of cooperation with the Belarusian authorities at the moment. The main terms are amending the electoral law, freedom of expression, freedom of associations, freedom of the individual and freedom of assembly.

"If our relations are to deepen, we will need to see further moves to develop democratic freedoms, for example the possibility for civil society to work and hold meetings without fear of harassment or arrest," Ferrero-Waldner emphasized.

As said by the European Commissioner, after today’s meetings, bilateral talks on concrete issues are to start, including opening of European markets for Belarusian manufacturers.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told Belarusian president that if Belarusians choose Europe, they would be welcomed with arms outstretched. "The EU has a lot to offer Belarus in a wide range of areas of mutual interest."