MEPs: World Hockey Championship - instrument of influence on Belarus
European politicians would like to exercise influence on the official Minsk with the help of 2014 World Ice Hockey Championship.
They mentioned it during the discussion of the Belarusian issue in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.
"The hockey championship is a real opportunity to exercise influence on the regime. It will demonstrate our attitude to the regime”, - claimed Christina Ouland, former Estonian Foreign Minister.
MEP Alexander Lambsdorff noted that the organization of the World Hockey Championship would be “Lukashenka’s absolute triumph” and that the previous decision of the International Hockey Federation could be changed.
The high-ranking official of the European External Action Service claimed that Council of the EU had to react to the opinion of the European Parliament and that a discussion of the World Ice Hockey championship was in process.
Gunnar Wiegand: "Some countries have supported the idea and others have not. It is a tricky issue that mixes sport with politics. Sometimes a parallel between the boycott of 1980 Moscow Olympics and the championship is drawn. It is being discussed”.
Let us remind you that the European Parliament voted for a resolution on Belarus on December 2010.Accrodng to it, the hockey championship should be postponed while there are political prisoners in the country.
Photo by: udf.by
