Vital Rymasheusky: Dialogue between Lukashenka and the EU legitimizes surrender of independence

Cooperation with the EU automatically legalizes all documents adopted by Lukashenka's regime in recent 20 years.

Yesterday the former Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt visited Minsk with delegation of experts from the European Council on Foreign Relations. He stated that sanctions could be lifted in case of release of political prisoners. Vital Rymasheuski , the politician and the co-Chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party (BCD), told charter97.org that comprehensive relations between the EU and Belarus might result in the loss of independence.

–I am really sorry that today even such politicians of principle as Carl Bildt follow the All-European conjuncture regarding Belarus. To consider the existence of political prisoners the only obstacle to relations looks like renege on their previous statements and all requirements for democratization.

Visits of high-ranking politicians are occurring amid increased Internet censorship, blockage of Internet resources, which has not previously been observed, and also amid new political prisoners and extension of old terms. Trials of Yury Rubtsou and Mikalai Dziadok were held during such visits. In fact, the bar is getting lower", the politician says.

- Is it enough to release political prisoners?

– Fair and free elections are the main guarantee of the democratization of Belarus and changes in the country. Certainly, the political prisoners must be released, but, if it is the main point for cooperation with the West, thereby we open the way for uncontrolled bargaining by new hostages of the regime.

It will result in that Belarusian government not only will keep political prisoners behind bars, but also will postpone the release of the present ones.

- Let's imagine Lukashenka releases everyone and the EU cooperates with the Belarusian government. -What will it mean?

- De facto comprehensive diplomatic relations mean legalization of the Belarusian regime, which has not been legally recognized since the unrecognized by the OSCE referendum. The power in Belarus was declared illegitimate. Accordingly, all those decrees which have been signed by the Belarusian government over the last 20 years could be questioned. Especially those leading to the loss of independence. Such as entrance into economic alliances, deployment of military bases, entry into the CSTO, execution of military agreements, which de facto cancel the neutral status of Belarus, suppression of Belarusian language both at legislative and practical levels. Today the legitimacy of the documents can be questioned. But in the case of the regime legitimization all acts on surrender of independence will be legalized by the EU automatically. Therefore, resumption of cooperation will not only strengthen the dictatorship in Belarus, but also will be another blow to independence.