Deputy Head of Polish Foreign Ministry’s: Charter97 will move to Warsaw

Commission for foreign affairs of the Polish Sejm discussed the report of the Foreign Ministry about the Polish-Belarusian relations.

A range of NGOs working with Belarus attended the meeting, Radio Svaboda reports.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz presented the report. She said that Poland draws a clear line between the Belarusian people and the Belarusian powers, and that is why sanctions are imposed specifically against the powers and should not affect common people.

” For many years Poland has been sending the same message to the Belarusian powers: human rights and civil freedoms must be respected. Release of all political prisoners is the basic demand that would make a dialogue with the Belarusian leadership possible,” the Deputy Foreign Minister said.

The Deputy-Minister emphasized that representatives of Poland often remind their EU-colleagues that Belarus is not a EU member, but still is a European country, which means that united Europe should prioritize its relationship with Minsk.

According to her, support of the independent media and Belarusian civil society are the highlights of the Polish long-term program of external support.

Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz commented on Belarus’ threats to relax control on the Polish border: “The border is guarded from both sides. The information communicated by the Belarusian part was treated with concern and attention. But the border security forces control the entrance to the Polish side and when needed, they can block the pass. And hence such unilateral sanctions concern neither Poland, nor the Polish society. Although we are sorry to see such statements being made since so far all border issues have been associated only with the society and free travel and communication, and have been kept out from politics.”

Among other things, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz said that in the near future the editorial of Charter97 will move from Lithuania to Warsaw, and that action will be taken to enhance the work of Polish consulates in Belarus.

During the session, other questions were discussed, such as establishment of a deputy group on Belarus in the Polish Sejm and cooperation of the Foreign, Justice and Financial Ministries in the matter of protection of the data of Belarusian citizens about whom the Belarusian state institutions can make enquiries for their social and oppositional political activities.

The session was attended by representatives of the Radio Ratsiya, Belarussian House in Warsaw, foundation Freedom and Democracy, Polish Helsinki Foundation, TV-channel Belsat and others.