BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14/10/2008

EU suspends visa bans on Belarusian president

by William Kaelin

The European Union is to temporarily suspend the visa bans it imposed on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and top regime figures in 2006, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg agreed Monday.

"Today's decisions reflects the viewpoint that we need to develop our dialogue with Belarus, basing ourselves on certain conditions," Latvian Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"Of course we expect Belarus to move on with reforms that would democratize the state, but EU members think that at this moment the path of dialogue would bring more results than not talking," he said.

The decision allows Lukashenko and officials such as Education Minister Alexander Radkov, Justice Minister Viktor Halavanav, KGB chief Stepan Sukhorenko and Prosecutor General Piotr Miklashevich to travel to the EU.

But the visa ban will still cover Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov, former Sports Minister Yuri Sivakov, interior ministry head of special operations Dmitry Pavlichenko, special forces Colonel Yuri Podobed, and the state secretary of the national security council, Viktor Sheiman.

The five are suspected of personal involvement in the 1999-2000 disappearances of four opposition figures. The head of the electoral commission, Lydia Yermoshina, will have her visa ban prolonged for her perceived role in masterminding Belarus' rigged elections.

"The EU calls for a progressive re-engagement with Belarus and is therefore ready to develop a dialogue with the Belarusian authorities ... except those implicated in the 1999-2000 disappearances," a joint statement from the EU ministers said.

Ahead of the meeting, diplomats had argued that, in the wake of August's Russia-Georgia war, the EU should strengthen its relations with Belarus, which borders EU members Poland and Lithuania.

"At this moment the Belarusians are looking to the EU. The moderates are hoping that they get something to be able to encourage further reforms in Belarus," EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told journalists.

It is "important that we continue to recognize the steps that have been made, limited in some ways but not insignificant in others, in Belarus," Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

After the war, Belarus took the unexpected decision to release the last six political prisoners it was holding in a move that analysts interpreted as a tacit call for a closer relationship with the EU to counter Russia's growing assertiveness in its neighbourhood.

But on September 28 the country held parliamentary elections which observers condemned as not in line with democratic standards.

"They've done certain things, they've released all of the political prisoners, but then they delivered a profoundly lousy election," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said.

That left the EU facing the dilemma of wanting to strengthen its ties with Belarus without being seen as condoning its election.

"We have to have carrots and sticks ... We always have to look to concrete things, but in order for (Belarus) to do more concrete things we also should do some concrete measures," Ferrero-Waldner said.

Ministers therefore decided to prolong the visa bans they imposed on regime figures in 2006 for another year, but to suspend the bans on all except the most suspect figures for six months.

Officials hope that this will, in turn, encourage Lukashenko's regime to bring in more democratic reforms. The ministers are now set to review their relationship with Belarus in the spring.

Source:

http://visitbulgaria.info/eu-suspends-visa-bans-belarusian-president

Google
 


Partners:
Face.by Social Network
Face.by