BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Thursday, 28 July 2005

Poland & Belarus fight on

Written by Brussels journalist David Ferguson

The European Commission remained calm as Polish-Belarus relations soured even further on Thursday. "We learned about the arrests, and releases, of members of a Polish organization in Belarus. These new events take place in the context of growing repression of political parties, NGOs and independent media," said Amadeu Altafaj Tardio, External Relations spokesperson for the European Commission.

On Thursday, Poland withdrew its ambassador Tadeusz Pawlak from Minsk, officially for consultation. Warsaw accuses Belarus authorities of not respecting European treaties with regard to national minorities, including the 1975 Helsinki Final Act that established the OSCE.

Estimates put the Polish minority in Belarus at over 400,000. Minsk officially removed from their posts the former leadership of the 'Union of Poles' paving the way for a pro-government administration of Belarus' largest non-governmental organization.

"We have a strong interest in Belarus being a democratic state," said European Commission spokesperson Tardio, steering clear of specific mention of any action by Brussels against Belarus. "This includes respect of European norms and protection of minority rights. We'll continue to closely monitor the situation," added Tardio, repeating official EU policy.

Commission spokesperson Tardio also refuted suggestions that the European Union is now on holiday and EU officials are not willing to cut short breaks over a minor Eastern European state like Belarus: "The Union is not on holiday, neither is the Commission. We are discussing what to with Member States. There is an informal Council of Foreign Ministers on 8 September," insisted Tardio. Brussels traditionally grinds to a halt as European Commissioners leave for long breaks in August.

European Union Foreign Ministers may, however, decide in early August on whether to continue with a process that could lead to withdrawal of low tariff status for Belarus. Earlier this month, Belarus Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksander Mikhnyevich admitted that EU trade sanctions could cost up to as much as $120 million if the European Union. "We know how much it would cost," said Mikhnyevich. "Still, the problem is not so much the cost, but the precedent of the EU taking such an unwarranted decision."

Following the diplomatic row with Minsk, Poland may now drop its opposition to trade sanctions. This would certainly hit hardest at normal Belarus citizens, including the Polish-speaking minority. Warsaw, however, has failed to understand Minsk's intentions thereby escalating an already tense situation.

The Belarus' Polish-speaking minority does not appear to have been singled out for special treatment, but is undergoing the same fate as many other independent organizations and media under Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's authoritarian rule. The Union of Poles is then being brought under control like other non-governmental Belarus associations and political parties by the Belarus President who is increasingly wary of elections in 2006. Lukashenko has repeatedly said there will be no 'colourful revolutions' as in Ukraine and Georgia.

Source:

http://euro-reporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=172&Itemid=1