EP delegation refused to meet with Belarusian MPs
5- 25.02.2010, 8:45
A group of MEPs led by head of the EP delegation to Euronest is arriving in Minsk.
The delegation headed by Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin is to hold meetings with representatives of official Minsk, opposition, civil society and journalists. The MEPs are to make a report on the situation in the country, which will be given due attention during consideration of a resolution on Belarus by the European Parliament in March.
“All conclusions and impressions of the delegation will be important for the parliament to outline its position. The forthcoming elections to the local councils are also of great importance,” delegation member Justas Paleckis told in an interview to Radio Svaboda.
According to him, a meeting with Alyaksandr Lukashenka is hardly possible, but some high-level talks will be held.
“Taking into account that the European Parliament doesn’t recognize the “parliament” of Belarus, so we have our hand tied here. It’s not a situation like in Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, where we have official meetings in parliament,” Paleckis said.
We remind that the European Parliament postponed a motion for the resolution on harassment of the Polish ethnic community in Belarus until a parliamentary session in March. As MEPs failed to reach an agreement on the issue, EP President Jerzy Buzek proposed to postpone voting.
Socialists and Communists blocked the motion. They said the Parliament would first get results of the parliamentary mission to Belarus.
Jerzy Buzek held a press conference for Polish media on February 23. Speaking about the situation over the Union of Poles in Belarus, the politician noted:
“To Poland, the Polish community in Belarus is of greatest importance. But if we want to solve the problem we should approach the matter from a wider perspective. We need to talk about the threats to democracy and democratic liberties for all the independent organizations. The prisons are full again in Belarus and this does not only include short-term arrests of the representatives of the Polish minority but regular imprisonment of activists of the Belarusian opposition.”
