Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-12-16-Speech-3-193"
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"en.20091216.15.3-193"2
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"Mr President, honourable Members, the EU’s relationship with Belarus is not without its complications. I would like to begin this debate by explaining why the Council took its decision in November concerning the EU’s relations with Belarus. I know that this issue is one that is of great interest to many Members.
Can we then exploit this situation to encourage Belarus to change track? There is no other way than through dialogue. We must help to strengthen the cautious movement towards greater openness. We have to consider how effective our sanctions policy is. Last year’s decision to suspend visa restrictions after Minsk had released the final prisoners in August 2008 helped bring about some progress in our dialogue.
The use of sanctions is an important way for the European Union to exert pressure. At the same time, the Commission has taken a number of steps aimed at cooperation with Belarus and the country is part of the Eastern Partnership. Our support for Belarus within the International Monetary Fund has also been a positive step.
We have set out the conditions, and now we must proceed reasonably and prudently. The decision to extend the suspension of the visa prohibition list sent a signal that we are serious about rewarding positive steps that are taken. If things continue to develop in this direction, we can go a step further.
At the moment, discussions are focusing on two possible alternatives. One is the development of a formal agreement and the other is the possibility of visa facilitation and readmission agreements. The position taken by the Council has laid the foundation for more specific consideration of these issues.
A partnership and cooperation agreement could result in us formalising the relationship between the EU and Belarus in a new way. It is a way of combining conditionality with our various means of exerting pressure within the framework of a legally binding agreement. A partnership and cooperation agreement would also allow Belarus to participate fully in the bilateral element of the Eastern Partnership.
Where visa facilitation is concerned, the intention is that this will be aimed at ordinary people, the general public, rather than at the political elite. It would represent an important opportunity to encourage contacts between civil society and the citizens of Belarus and the EU. It could become a crucial factor in opening up and influencing Belarusian culture. It is entirely in line with the aims of the Eastern Partnership.
Visa facilitation is linked with readmission. This should not be a great problem, since Belarus has demonstrated its ability to cooperate on matters related to border controls.
Belarus is in an important location on the eastern border of the EU. Consequently, we have an interest in seeing Belarus modernise, develop and move towards becoming a democratic, free country. The importance of having democratic neighbouring countries is a cornerstone of our security strategy.
We must work to instil our values – such as democracy, a market economy and respect for human rights – in Belarus. There is a clear parallel here with how we develop partnerships with a number of countries to both the east and the south.
I would like to end by emphasising that naturally, we must continue to set clear conditions in our relations with Belarus. The country must continue to move forward. President Lukashenko’s repressive policies must be replaced by greater democracy and greater tolerance. The principles of the rule of law must be respected. This is the message that we are sending in all the bilateral contacts that take place between the Member States and Belarus.
When we discussed this, we focused on two important aspects. On the one hand, the EU wanted to send a clear signal that we are not happy with the lack of positive progress in recent months. On the other, we wanted to establish the subsequent steps within the framework of our dialogue with Belarus, with the aim of encouraging Minsk to take action in a number of areas.
Dialogue is essential if our demands are to bring results. That is why we on the Council have also welcomed the increased contacts aimed at strengthening a transition to democracy. We will continue to develop our support for the democracy movement and civil society which are working for reform and European integration in Belarus. We are very grateful for the significant support and commitment demonstrated by the European Parliament in this work.
I feel that the result was a well-balanced decision that takes these aspects into account. It has three main elements.
Firstly, we are extending our sanctions while, at the same time, suspending the travel restrictions for almost all the individuals concerned. The exceptions are four people directly linked to the political disappearances and the chair of Belarus’s Central Electoral Commission.
Secondly, we are open to the possibility of visa facilitation and readmission agreements between the EU and Belarus.
Thirdly, there is the prospect of a partnership and cooperation agreement between the EU and Belarus. Naturally, this would require positive developments as regards democracy, human rights and the principles of the rule of law. The Commission has been asked to carry out some preparatory work based on these action plans, which were developed within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
In our discussions, we took into account the fact that the situation in Belarus is better than it was 18 months ago, despite the fact that there have been some backward steps. The expulsion of a student from university after taking part in an Eastern Partnership forum is a very serious example of this.
The transition from an authoritarian society to democracy – as many Members of this House know extremely well – is a gradual process. It will take time for Belarus and there will be many obstacles along the way. Our full support is therefore required.
The global financial crisis is actually providing opportunities for influence. Belarus’s economy is on its knees and Russia is no longer prepared to underwrite the country. In the energy sector, the low gas prices are just a memory."@en1
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