Polish FM called upon Belarusian authorities to return Polish House

The Foreign Ministry of Poland insists that the Polish House is to be returned to the independent Union of Poles in Belarus.

It has been stated in Sejm by Jan Borkowski, a representative of the Foreign Ministry.

“Our conditions offered to Belarusian authorities include return of property to Polish minority, as it was before the period of tensions which started in recent weeks,” Jan Borkowski noted.

He added tat Warsaw expects holding talks which would result in handing over Polish Houses “which had been lost and do not contribute to the cause of the Polish minority” to the Union of Poles headed by Andzelika Borys, the BDG quotes the Polish diplomat as saying.

At the moment, Jan Borkowski said, between Belarus and other European countries “a pragmatic economic cooperation not considering the categories which are extremely important to Poland” is taking place.

This week a court of Valozhyn district adopted a verdict that the Polish House in Ivyanets should be handed over to the pro-regime Union of Poles in Belarus. At the same time, Polish authorities insist that the Polish House should be transferred into ownership of the unofficial Union of Poles in Belarus headed by Andzelika Borys. Warsaw believes that in 2005 the Belarusian authorities organized a split of the Polish minority (into two Unions of Poles) in order to create an organization loyal to the regime.