Havel suggests making 35 euro Schengen visas for Belarusians
Czech politicians and the former President of the country suggested the European Union three scenarios of building up relations with the official Minsk and proposed to lower the price of Schengen visas for Belarusians.
ERB managed to get a document “How to avoid an iron curtain between the EU and Belarus?” prepared by the Polish Foundation of Stefan Batori and the Czech International Affairs Association. Statistics of visa relations between Belarus and the EU is presented there.
ERB offers you a few passages from the document and the three scenarios of possible future relations between our country and members of the Schengen Agreement.
“According to NISEPI surveys, only 26% of Belarusian citizens have been to EU countries including the Baltic States and Poland. 60% of them did not meet foreigners over the past three years. Thus, it turns out that the general number of Belarusians who visited the EU is much lower than 5% of all the Belarusian population.
Czech politicians are sure that the EU should take some steps to help and liberalize the procedure of getting a visa for Belarusian citizens. “This is the only thing that can help reach the main goal of the EU policy concerning Belarus that is meant to enhance contacts between citizens and to develop democracy in this country”, - is said in the document.
SEVERAL SCENARIOS SUGGESTED FOR SOLVING THE MENTIONED PROBLEMS
Scenario 1,
that is being carried out at the moment is the least desirable: the EU claims that it will do everything possible to support democratization and simplify contacts between citizens but limits those contacts increasing the price of visas to €60. The EU also noted that no visa assistance will be available until Belarus becomes a democratic country.
Scenario 2,
Suggest starting negotiations about the Agreement on visa assistance with the existing Belarusian regime. It is problematic because it would guarantee legality to this regime. Moreover, the regime does not seem interested in such negotiations because contacts between Belarusian and EU citizens may pose a threat to the regime itself.
Scenario 3
The third and the only way to avoid further isolation of Belarus and its citizens is to take a unilateral decision: lower the price of visas to €35 for all Belarusian citizens regardless of relations with the country’s authorities. According to this scenario, the Czech authorities suggest not paying attention to the political situation in Belarus thus allowing opportunities for ordinary Belarusians with the help of such a simplified policy”.
The appeal is signed by:
Václav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic, member of a Czech organization “Civil Belarus”
Yan Hamachak, head of Czech Parliament, member of the international affairs committee
Andjei Lіshka, Parliament member, head of the European Affairs Committee
Dzharamіr Shtsetіna, member of the Senate of the Czech Republic, member of foreign affaires, defense and security committee
Petr Bratskі, Parliament member, European Affairs Committee member, head of Standing Delegation of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Yan Ruml, president of “Civil Belarus”, former Minister of Internal Affaires and vice-President of the Senate of the Czech Republic
Іgor Blazhevіch, head of the Czech affiliate of the organization “Human Rights and Democracy”, organizer of the festival “One World Film Festival”, member of “Civil Belarus”
Sіryl Svobada, Minister of Czech legislation, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechia
ERB managed to get a document “How to avoid an iron curtain between the EU and Belarus?” prepared by the Polish Foundation of Stefan Batori and the Czech International Affairs Association. Statistics of visa relations between Belarus and the EU is presented there.
ERB offers you a few passages from the document and the three scenarios of possible future relations between our country and members of the Schengen Agreement.
“According to NISEPI surveys, only 26% of Belarusian citizens have been to EU countries including the Baltic States and Poland. 60% of them did not meet foreigners over the past three years. Thus, it turns out that the general number of Belarusians who visited the EU is much lower than 5% of all the Belarusian population.
Czech politicians are sure that the EU should take some steps to help and liberalize the procedure of getting a visa for Belarusian citizens. “This is the only thing that can help reach the main goal of the EU policy concerning Belarus that is meant to enhance contacts between citizens and to develop democracy in this country”, - is said in the document.
SEVERAL SCENARIOS SUGGESTED FOR SOLVING THE MENTIONED PROBLEMS
Scenario 1,
that is being carried out at the moment is the least desirable: the EU claims that it will do everything possible to support democratization and simplify contacts between citizens but limits those contacts increasing the price of visas to €60. The EU also noted that no visa assistance will be available until Belarus becomes a democratic country.
Scenario 2,
Suggest starting negotiations about the Agreement on visa assistance with the existing Belarusian regime. It is problematic because it would guarantee legality to this regime. Moreover, the regime does not seem interested in such negotiations because contacts between Belarusian and EU citizens may pose a threat to the regime itself.
Scenario 3
The third and the only way to avoid further isolation of Belarus and its citizens is to take a unilateral decision: lower the price of visas to €35 for all Belarusian citizens regardless of relations with the country’s authorities. According to this scenario, the Czech authorities suggest not paying attention to the political situation in Belarus thus allowing opportunities for ordinary Belarusians with the help of such a simplified policy”.
The appeal is signed by:
Václav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic, member of a Czech organization “Civil Belarus”
Yan Hamachak, head of Czech Parliament, member of the international affairs committee
Andjei Lіshka, Parliament member, head of the European Affairs Committee
Dzharamіr Shtsetіna, member of the Senate of the Czech Republic, member of foreign affaires, defense and security committee
Petr Bratskі, Parliament member, European Affairs Committee member, head of Standing Delegation of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Yan Ruml, president of “Civil Belarus”, former Minister of Internal Affaires and vice-President of the Senate of the Czech Republic
Іgor Blazhevіch, head of the Czech affiliate of the organization “Human Rights and Democracy”, organizer of the festival “One World Film Festival”, member of “Civil Belarus”
Sіryl Svobada, Minister of Czech legislation, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechia
