Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-02-24-Speech-3-196"
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"en.20100224.18.3-196"2
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"Mr President, let me first thank Members for the discussion in this House, and make four points.
My first point is that respect for human rights is categorically a cornerstone of external relations of the European Union, and it is the foundation on which engagement with any country, including Belarus, is built.
Second, the deterioration of democracy in Belarus had a very unfortunate low point recently, but it did not start last week. It started around mid-2009, and this led the EU Council of Ministers in November 2009 to request that the Commission formulate a proposal for the so-called ‘joint interim plan’ in support of reforms to be implemented with Belarus. The Commission’s services have prepared a draft of this joint interim plan for reforms. It is now with the High Representative, and the High Representative certainly would gladly take into account the recommendations coming out of the fact-finding mission that Parliament is starting tomorrow.
My third point is that it would be with this last event in mind when the High Representative turns back to the services with feedback on this joint interim plan, that it would be finalised.
Let me make my fourth and last point. In the second half of the 1980s, perestroika started in the former Soviet Union, and it led to, for the first time in the lives of many – mine included – an opportunity to compete for student and professional exchanges. In my case, it led me to the London School of Economics. It dramatically changed my professional life. It certainly made me much more helpful, more useful, to my own country.
It is with this strong belief that it is by opening up the democratic channels for countries under oppressive regimes that we as Europeans can help these countries that I made – and again would repeat – my point on the importance and usefulness of people-to-people contacts, the usefulness of support for businesses, the usefulness – despite the great difficulties, the very unfortunate disrespect for minorities, which we condemn – of remaining engaged in a way that would lift up the chances of the Belarusian people to take the road to a free world and to be connected with the Union, and I would repeat the call for us to remain engaged in that way."@en1
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