Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-25-Speech-3-356"
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"en.20090325.29.3-356"2
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"When sanctions against Belarus were lifted we hoped that the process of softening the system would go a little further. It turns out, however, that this has not happened. Those who have already spoken today have mentioned this, but I would like us to remember that no other political parties have been registered, the threat to cancel the registration of parties which already exist has not been lifted, newspapers which might have been granted the right of distribution have not been granted that right, and web-based attacks on Internet sites, such as the Radio Free Europe site, have been renewed. Furthermore, President Lukashenko decided to leave Minsk and so Mrs Ferrero-Waldner’s visit could not go ahead. I do not think this was a friendly gesture, and neither does it show that he respects and understands the significance of contacts with the European Union.
It is true that President Lukashenko has not recognised Abkhazia and Ossetia, but he has visited Abkhazia and it seems that there is to be close economic cooperation between these two partners – I will not say states, because of course for us Abkhazia is not a state. As for the opposition, President Lukashenko calls it a ‘fifth column’, and we cannot see any readiness whatsoever to recognise it, as is the case in every country, as an important element of political opposition.
I think that in this connection we should, however, maintain some kind of dialogue. I agree with what Mr Tannock said, that President Lukashenko should not be present in Prague. That would clearly be going too far, but really we should make significant and more effective use of another instrument which we have at our disposal, namely a financial instrument in the form of the funding for democratic and economic development. In connection with this I would like to ask a question – not what sums were allocated, but what sums were spent on support of democracy in Belarus last year and in 2007, not including support for radio?"@en1
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