Polish city of Slupsk refused to cooperate with Belarus

Polish city of Slupsk will not cooperate with Belarusian Hrodna. The reason is repressions against activists of the Union of Poles in Belarus.

On Wednesday representatives of the partied Platforma Obywatelska and Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc (Citizen Platform and Law and Order) cancelled from the agenda the draft resolution on this issue.

The chairman of the council Zdzislaw Solowin applied for taking off this issue from the agenda. As the Polish Agency of Press informs, most of the members of the council were in favour of establishing cooperation, but because of increased crackdown on Poles in Belarus the decision was adopted to reject this initiative.

“We have received a signal from the Poles living in Belarus that such a resolution would be an insult for them. Non-acceptance of such a resolution is a signal that we are waiting for normalization of the situation and that the Belarusian authorities would regain their temper and stop repressions against those who are not loyal to them,” Zdzislaw Solowin said.

The idea to establish partnership relations between the cities belongs to the Society of Friends of Vilnius and Hrodna in Slupsk, which unites 800 persons. Though the attitude of its chairman Marian Boratynski to the decision of the council is negative, he is convinced that cooperation with Hrodna would be established soon.

“Members of the Council have just postponed the decision. Cooperation between Slupsk and Hrodna won’t do any harm to Poles in Belarus for sure,” Boratynski said.

In late February a manifestation against discrimination of Poles in Belarus was held near the Town Hal in Slupsk. It was organized by “Solidarity” and a former senator Anne Bogucka-Skowronska. Demonstrators urged authorities of Slupsk not to sign the agreement on cooperation with Hrodna.