Sannikov met with presidents of Poland and Estonia (Photo)

13.09.2010, 13:26

The leader of “European Belarus” has taken part in the annual Riga Conference.

During the conference the leader of “European Belarus” civil campaign held a number of meetings with European, Russian, American politicians, journalists, analysts, public leaders and members of parliaments.

Other participants from the Belarusian side besides Sannikov were the former leader of Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Mikhail Marynich, a founder of “We Remember” foundation, wife of the abducted businessman Iryna Krasouskaya.

“During the meetings we discussed issues about the situation in Belarus in the run-up to the presidential elections, the attitude to the elections in Europe, and first of all in the countries neighbouring Europe. Participants of the conference came near and expressed condolences on Aleh Byabenin’s death. Many politicians, journalists, public leaders knew him personally and were shocked by the news about Aleh’s death,” Andrei Sannikov said.

Stanislau Shushkevich noted that the Polish side looks for an opportunity to form a common stance towards the Belarusian issue, as a certain difference in the approaches of Bronislaw Komorowski and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski exists:

“I like his position towards Belarus. Unlike some other politicians, he believes that Europe must be coherent. Poland is already in the state when it can influence these processes without subordinating everything to short-term goals, but thinking strategically. I have understood that human rights and democracy are to stay the main thing for Europe. No one excludes economic cooperation, but it should not be guided by someone’s private interests. I have realized that the Polish President is among the people who think it is possible to reform Lukashenka,” Stanislau Shushkevich said in an interview to Radio Racyja.