European Ministers to visit Belarus during elections

Last week the Vice-Chairman of the United Civic Party Jaraslau Ramanchuk participated in the international conference of right-centrist politicians. Among the guests there were leaders of governments, external bodies of the countries of Central-Western Europe, Baltic States and Middle Asia. Taking advantage of the opportunity Jaraslau Ramanchuk invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt to visit Belarus during presidential elections.

Jaraslau Ramanchuk: “Apart from that, I suggested he should come out with an initiative to organize the visit to our country of all the interested parties. In the first place, our neighbours - the EU, Brussels, in order to clearly underline Europe's position before the elections. I made the same suggestion to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radek Sikorski. Now they are negotiating on the format and possibilities of the visit”.

Ramanchuk also achieved that Swedish MPs would initiate hearings on Belarus situation in the European Parliament.

Jaraslau Ramanchuk: “We've made a suggestion to consider the issue of Belarusian political situation in the European Parliament. The leading Swedish party Moderaterna will suggest project on Belarus. This project will be the one of the EPP, which will take a more constructive position with regard to Belarus than before”.



Apart from the above, Ramanchuk passed an appeal of the leaders of the democratic opposition asking not to abolish visa sanctions with regard to a series of Belarusian officials, but to leave them in force.

Jaraslau Ramanchuk: “The Swedes confirmed that almost all the EU countries supported the idea to leave the sanctions regime as it was then. Then, if there is any progress with elections, they will reconsider the sanctions issue again in April 2011”.

Jaraslau Ramanchuk used the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden also to figure out Russia's position with regard to Belarusian elections, and to push the Eastern neighbour towards more active involvement. 

Jaraslau Ramanchuk: “Russia has not even made an attempt to participate in the OSCE observing mission so far. I told Carl Bildt: "It would be very kind of you if you called Mr. Lavrov as a person who knows him well and figure out whether such common observation will take place and which practical means should be implemented for this”.

To the opinion of the presidential contender, if there is common observation, Russia will have to agree with Europe's conclusions with regard to the elections. According to Ramanchuk, the Swedish Minister promised to call his Russian colleague.

Photo: Zmitser Lukashuk