Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-25-Speech-3-352"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20090325.29.3-352"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
".
Mr President, I am grateful to the Members of this Parliament for the opportunity to provide an update on developments in Belarus, and in particular to report on the outcome of last Monday’s discussion on this issue in Council.
We are convinced that we need to be constructive with Minsk. We remain realistic and do not expect any dramatic changes. Transformation takes time, and it is in our shared interest to take every opportunity to encourage further positive developments.
It is important that our policy of engagement has been openly supported by representatives of civil society in Belarus, who took part recently in a very helpful discussion with Members of this Parliament. We also maintain regular contacts with the representatives of Belarusian civic society and we intend to continue this dialogue as well as our support to civic society and the independent media in Belarus.
Let me close with a few words on the Eastern Partnership, which was endorsed last week by the European Council, and will be launched at a summit-level meeting in May. Belarus is one of the six Eastern Partnership countries. We strongly believe that Belarus should be involved in this new initiative from the outset. But the extent of its participation in the bilateral track will depend on a number of factors, in particular progress in some of the areas to which I have just referred.
I am grateful to the public support which Parliament has given to the outcome of the Council last Monday. Clearly the in-depth review to be conducted in nine months’ time will be a key to any further decisions, and will have an important bearing on our future relations with Belarus more generally. The Council is very ready to continue to keep this Parliament informed of developments, and welcomes the opportunity for you to continue to contribute to this debate.
As many of you will be aware, following the Council’s decision last October to suspend temporarily and partially the visa-ban list, we have seen a number of positive developments in Belarus. I would point in particular to the registration of the ‘For Freedom’ movement and of the Centre for Chernobyl Initiatives, the printing and distribution of independent newspapers such as
and
the round table on regulation of the Internet with the OSCE Representative on the Freedom of the Media, the ongoing expert consultations with OSCE/ODIHR on improving electoral legislation, and the establishment of Consultative Councils, including one on human rights issues, which brings together representatives of civil society and even the opposition.
These steps, whilst they might appear relatively minor to some, are significant in the Belarusian context. This has been acknowledged by some representatives of civil society in Belarus.
However, there have also been incidents which are a cause for our concern. The important human rights NGO, Viasna, has been denied registration, there are problems with the accreditation of some of the independent media, and, while there is less harassment against civil society and opposition activists than earlier, short-term detentions continue to take place. We are also following closely complaints from the opposition over ‘forcible conscription’ to the army.
Se we cannot deny that the picture is mixed. Nevertheless, we are convinced that there is a need to continue with a policy of engagement and to support the positive developments. This should be the way forward in our relations with Belarus. We must keep in mind our wider strategic interests in the region as well as the impact of the financial crisis when we consider our future policy direction.
These were the considerations which lay behind our decision on 16 March. This decision, while extending for one year the restrictive measures, maintains the suspension of the application of the travel restrictions imposed on certain officials of Belarus for nine months.
The in-depth review foreseen by the end of this nine-month period will concentrate on the five areas set out in the Council’s conclusions of October 2008. These are electoral reform and other concrete actions towards respect for democratic values, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and of the media, and freedom of assembly and political association.
We firmly believe that the continuation of the suspension agreed last week will enable us to pursue our policy objectives. It will provide us with the opportunity to continue to raise with our Belarusian partners developments which concern us in the field of human rights. The launching, in the coming month, of a human rights dialogue will be particularly important.
Following the lifting of the ban on bilateral political contacts, a number of high-level visits have taken place, including a ministerial troika at the end of January. The aim of these various contacts has been to encourage Belarus, and to create understanding over differences in expectations. We hope that the dialogue will continue over the coming months."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples