PACE MP: Lukashenka should be invited to Riga summit

Euroradio: During the hearings on Belarus in PACE, you said: "I think we now need to think about how we can return to Belarus a special guest status in PACE." Do you really think that now there is a real opportunity to do so?

Tadeusz Iwinski: In my speech, I remembered the middle of the 90s - I was then a deputy chairman of PACE in Minsk, I met with Lukashenka, the then Chairman of the Supreme Council Sharetsky, opposition. After those events, I personally, in January 1997, suggested that we should suspend the special guest status for Belarus. Eighteen years have passed since that moment, everything has changed! On the one hand, the state of human rights in Belarus is criticized, there is a death penalty, many of the opposition activists are imprisoned - including my good friend Statkevich. But on the other hand, except for the death penalty, on which you can enter the moratorium, unfortunately, I do not see much difference in the human rights situation between the countries of the South Caucasus and Belarus.

So my suggestion was as follows: we must continue the dialogue with the authorities and the opposition, which is, by the way,divided, and set specific conditions. You can see that only Belarus and Kosovo are not on the Council of Europe! And with Kosovo it is increasingly difficult, as there are five EU countries and 10 of the Council of Europe, which will never recognize the independence of this country. With Belarus it is the other way round. Membership in the Council of Europe is of great importance for the citizens of Belarus,  the possibility of turning to the European Court of Human Rights is worth a lot in itself!

Euroradio: Well, let's say Belarus is faced with "certain conditions," and it complies - is the return of the status possible without a moratorium?

Tadeusz Iwinski: Hard to say ... I do not think so. At least not yet. Well, your authorities are constantly saying that under the Constitution, the death penalty is a temporary measure. You know, there was a big discussion over the matter in Russia and Ukraine, when they were being accepted to the Council of Europe. Say, do you have a crime rate comparable to Russia or even Ukraine? I think the opposite is true. We have to think in terms of cooperation with European structures. And above all - with PACE. PACE for you is even more important than the European Parliament: Belarus has no prospects for joining the European Union, but it could join the Council of Europe!

Tadeusz Iwinski: This is an indication that the country is moving towards democracy.

Euroradio: Ukraine has already displayed it! But there is a country in the east, which may not like it...

Tadeusz Iwinski: Yes, the Council of Europe - is not a defense organization. It deals with human rights and democracy. Nevertheless, membership in such an organization is for the benefit of both people and the state. Today the status of Belarus in the international arena has improved. People began to wonder: "What is Belarus, where is it?" If such an exam was held among PACE friends earlier, 90% would have failed it.

Euroradio: I have heard that in Europe people started viewing Lukashenka differently. But how exactly?

Tadeusz Iwinski: For many people, he ceased to be a primitive subordinate to Moscow. People saw that he has an opinion and makes his own decisions. Even his decision not to participate in the May 9 parade in Moscow suggests that to some extent he plays an independent role. This gives chance to Belarus, and your government must not lose it.

Euroradio: should the same reasons be applied to invite Lukashenka to the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga?

Tadeusz Iwinski: Personally, I think that it would be better to invite him ...

Photo: Zmitser Lukashuk