BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
22/06/2009
EU commissioner seeks reforms in Belarus
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, called her meeting with Belorusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko "very productive."
At a meeting in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, the European commissioner said her visit had historic value and that she had come to demonstrate the potential of relations between Belarus and the EU.
Tit for tat
Belarus and European Union have the potential for cooperation, Ferrero-Waldner continued.
"Our interaction should be reciprocal. If you display such interaction, then the potential will be fulfilled," ITAR-TASS quoted her as saying.
Ferrero-Waldner mentioned certain steps that Belarusian authorities had undertaken, such as the release of prisoners, allowed the EU to reconsider its approach to the country. But at the same time, she added, certain requests have not been complied with yet.
"If you have such a desire, we are ready to develop cooperation," she added.
Referring to the obstacles for closer co-operation between the sides, including Europe's criticism of the election campaigns in Belarus, the EU commissioner said:
"We have always made clear our desire for closer relations. In 2004 we invited Belarus to join the European Neighbourhood Policy for regional stability, security and prosperity. Unfortunately, the political context in your country did not make it possible for you to join at that time."
"We did not give up though: in November 2006 we sent a special message to the Belarusian people explaining what the EU had to offer as soon as the government made progress on respecting its people's fundamental rights," she continued.
Recently, the European Union welcomed Belarus to the multilateral group of the so-called Eastern Partnership, seen by many as designed to curb Russia's influence on the six former Soviet republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus.
As stated in a press release posted on the EU website, the program offers these countries a close economic and political bond with the European Union.
"The Eastern Partnership is designed to accelerate political and economic reforms in eastern European countries, bringing them closer to the EU. It's also about helping countries consolidate their sovereignty and avoid new dividing lines in Europe. There will be joint projects and exchanges of know-how in areas as diverse as good governance, the economy and energy," the EU commissioner noted.
Yet to deserve membership in this EU-led club, the country's leadership would have to ease their control over political life in Belarus.
"To be specific, we would like to see changes to the electoral process to make it transparent and fair and translated into changes in the legislation. All media should have equal and fair access to information, printing presses and distribution networks," Ferrero-Waldner said.
"More generally, the people of Belarus should be able to express their views in meetings or at peaceful demonstrations in the street," she added.
Among the prospective benefits having been promised to Minsk should it succeed in complying with the EU requests, were lighter visa requirements, closer trade relations and economic support.
"At the crossroads of Europe"
The EU commissioner also noted that Belarus is potentially able to play a greater role in Europe.
"At the crossroads of Europe, you have the potential to connect East and West and North and South. You have much more to offer for the future and I hope you seize the opportunity to do so," Benita Ferrero-Waldner said.
Belorusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko has welcomed the proposals offered by the EU.
"We have a foundation to build our ties on. We honestly want to forge good ties, even if this may not be to somebody's liking," he said during the meeting.
But, Lukashenko added that Minsk would like the EU to understand that Belarus "is not only a geographic center for this continent," but also "a sovereign and independent state."
PACE stretches out hand to Belarus
Meanwhile, Lluis Maria de Puig - the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) - in his opening address at the summer session said, Monday, that he hoped the Assembly would adopt a resolution on Tuesday calling for the Belarusian parliament's Special Guest status to be restored, the PACE website reports.
The Assembly was expected to adopt an important resolution during this session, he said, establishing a new "Partner for Democracy" status for some of the Council of Europe's neighboring countries.
Lukashenko, who has been running Belarus since 1994, was once dubbed "Europe's last dictator" by Washington. Now he is moving to rebuild ties with the West, having freed several political prisoners last year, in line with EU demands.
The European Union then suspended a travel ban on the Belarusian leader and other authorities, and the country has been invited to join the EU's Eastern Partnership program.
Earlier in June, the Belarusian president described cooperation with the European Union as "part of a strategic plan."
Source:
http://www.russiatoday.com/Politics/2009-06-22/EU_commissioner_seeks_reforms_in_Belarus.html
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