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Office for a Democratic Belarus Belarus Headlines Issue XXXVIII February 24, 2009 EU AND BELARUS SIX MONTHS AFTER: ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES AHEAD March 4, 2009 14:00 – 17:30, room P7C050, Paul-Henri Spaak building, European Parliament, Brussels Dear colleagues, with enthusi- asm and have Office for a Democratic hitherto made Belarus The Parliamentary Groups of the some, albeit Party of Euro- limited, pro- Inside this issue: pean Socialists, gress towards greater politi- Debate on 1 the European People’s Party cal openness. EU-Belarus (Christian De- But will that be relations in EP mocrats) and enough to jus- EU and Belarus 2-3 European De- tify the expan- mocrats in the sion of con- European Parlia- tacts with the ment in co-operation with In October 2008 the EU current regime in Bela- 3-6 Politics and the Office for a Democ- granted Belarus a six- rus? And will the Belaru- Society news ratic Belarus and the month “grace period”, tem- sian government be able, Pontis Foundation are porarily lifting a visa ban and willing, to continue on state officials. The the liberalisation process 6-7 pleased to invite you to Economy and change of policy was after April 2009? Finance news take part in a debate on EU-Belarus relations that meant to encourage devel- will bring together repre- opment of democracy and 24/02/2009 Culture 8-9 Source: ODB sentatives of Belarusian respect for human rights in the country. The EU is to Cracking the NGOs, Members of the European Parliament, sen- review Belarus’ progress in Francysk April 2009, and decide Skaryna Code ior officials of the EU Council and the European whether to re-impose re- Commission, as well as strictions or expand its other interested parties. links with the Belarusian government. The debate The debate will be pre- organised in the European ceded by a presentation of Parliament provides a fo- We on the Web a ‘Monitoring Report on rum to evaluate develop- ments in Belarus since Oc- www.democraticbelarus.eu Developments in Belarus, October 2008 – January tober 2008 and to discuss 2009’ prepared by the Bel- steps the EU can take in arusian International Im- relations with Belarus after plementers Meeting the April review. (BIIM). Belarusian authorities re- acted to the EU’s decision PAGE 2 BELARUS HEADLINES ISSUE XXXVIII EU and Belarus EU Foreign Policy Chief on First Visit to Belarus wards the EU’. Ostensibly, the Belaru- sian President had noted that Belarus’ relations with Russia were better under Boris Yeltsin and had expressed serious concern about what he had called was growing Russian pressure. According to some sources, the EU for- eign policy chief believes Lukashenka should be invited to the Eastern Partner- The Secretary-General of the EU drafting of young opposition activists ship summit in May. However, many Council and the High Representative into the army, the recent arrests of dis- EU officials stress that much will de- for the Common Foreign and Security sidents, and the violent break-ups of pend on whether Belarus recognises Policy, Javier Solana, paid his first two opposition protests earlier this independence of Georgia’s break-away visit to Minsk. On February 19, So- month. The two sides also discussed the regions. ‘It is natural that Belarus [has] a lana held a meeting with the represen- situation on media freedom. sovereign parliament and the parliament tatives of Belarusian civil society and During his meeting with President Lu- of Belarus has its own decision [to the opposition, including former presi- kashenka, Solana noted that there is a make],’ said Czech Foreign Minister dential candidates Alyaksandr Mil- consensus in the EU that Belarus is a Schwarzenberg, ‘but if they would rec- inkevich and Alyaksandr Kazulin, European country and expressed hope ognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia it human rights activist Aleh Hulak, that their talks would be ‘productive would create a very, very difficult situa- legal expert Elena Tonkacheva, and constructive’ for EU-Belarus rela- tion for Belarus.’ Those who advocate economist Pavel Daneyka, leader of tions. Lukashenka, for his part, sug- the country’s inclusion in the new EU the Congress of Democratic Trade gested that the two sides ‘exclude [from initiative saythe stakes are too high to Unions Alyaksandr Yarashuk and their dialogue] any mediators, espe- hesitate even if Minsk recognises these chair of the Belarusian Association of cially those who have unfriendly atti- regions. Others, however, express con- Journalists Zhanna Litvina. The Bela- tude towards the country’. On his return cern that this might lead Georgia to pull rusian activists told the EU official from Minsk, Solana reportedly told EU out from the project. they were in favour of the Minsk- ambassadors that Lukashenka had made 19-23/02/2009 Brussels dialogue, but they also in- it clear that his countryis ‘looking to- Source: RFE/RL, BelaPAN,ERB, BelTA formed him about the controversial PACE Rapporteur to Propose Restoring Special Guest Status just ended a four-day visit to the coun- The three-member delegation also wel- try, said: "The Assembly wants to comed the release of all political pris- bring Belarus closer to Council of oners, and expressed interest in the Europe standards. Isolation has been new Consultative Councils set up to tried and it has not worked. Mr allow a dialogue between civil society Rigoni's proposal would allow the be- and the authorities. However, it re- ginning of a structured dialogue, partly mained concerned about freedom of as a response to some positive devel- association and assembly, and said that opments in the country." progress in developing media freedom PACE delegation at a meeting in Minsk - despite some limited positive steps - However he pointed out that any resto- was essential. [...] The rapporteur on Belarus of the Parlia- ration of Special Guest status - if it was mentary Assembly of the Council of decided by the Assembly - should be Finally, the delegation said it was keen Europe (PACE), Andrea Rigoni (Italy, temporary, and renewal will depend on to see the opening in the very near fu- ALDE), has said he will propose restor- Belarus making further progress to- ture of a Council of Europe InfoPoint ing Special Guest status to a delegation wards democratisation. Contrary to an in Minsk, which should be a starting- from the country's parliament - pro- announcement by the Belarus state TV point for engaging with the Belarusian vided a mechanism can also be found to channel, there has been no decision to public at large. associate representatives of the extra- restore Special Guest status. There is parliamentary opposition. only a proposal, which could be dis- cussed by the Assembly as early as its 18/02/2009 Goran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), the June session, he added. Source: coe.int head of a PACE delegation which has Photo by nn.by PAGE 3 BELARUS HEADLINES ISSUE XXXVIII EU and Belarus EPP-ED Delegation Returns from Minsk newspapers, registration of the move- “EU has a good will to help its ment “For Freedom” and the non- neighbour to live during the difficult recognition of the separatist regions of times, but initiative should not go only South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “We from the EU. Help us to find the argu- express our concern that despite the ments to help you”, said Jacek Prota- recent positive developments, human siewicz during the press conference rights are still violated in Belarus with Belarus journalists. “In order to and politically motivated pressure and develop further the open dialogue be- harassment of democratic activists, tween EU and Belarus there shall not Laima Andrikiene , Jacek Protasiewicz independent newspapers and believers be any further practices of repression A Delegation of the largest political is witnessed in the country”, declared against democratic activists, isolation group in the European Parliament, the Christopher Beazley MEP. of young activists by expelling them Group of the European People's Party from universities and freedom restric- and European Democrats, went on a “An independent, secure and stable tions and compulsory work sentences fact-finding mission to Minsk , Belarus Belarus is the interest of the EU. The for democratic youth”, said Member of on February 20. The visit focused on recent “European week” in Belarus is the European Parliament. the assessment of the latest political not onlyabout the visits of the EU developments in Belarus, EU-Belarus High Representative Javier Solana and The Members of the Delegation met relations, the human rights situation, the delegation of the EPP-ED from the the officials from the Foreign Ministry and the freedom of the press. European Parliament. This week is of Belarus as well as the leaders of the also about the repression against the democratic opposition, the Ambassa- The Members of the Delegation - democratic demonstrations of Febru- dors of EU Member States residing in Christopher Beazley MEP (UK, Head ary 14 and February 16. It gives a Belarus and the representatives of the of Delegation), Laima Andrikiene clearer picture on the processes going civil society. MEP (Lithuania) and Jacek Prota- on in Belarus. The EU has always siewicz MEP (Poland) acknowledged took a firm stand in promoting and the positive steps taken by the Belarus defending human rights, democracy authorities such as the release of the and the rule of law – fundamental 23/02/2009 internationally recognized political European values”, underlined Laima Source: EPP-ED press service prisoners, registration of 2 independent Andrikiene MEP. Politics and Society New Media Law Takes Effect in Belarus A new Media its journalists from working for for- outlet will be subject to specific regu- Law, which is eign media outlets without accredita- lations and not common laws. She also described by tion and provides for sanctions against said ‘there is an exhaustive list of some critics as ‘the distribution of false information grounds for issuing a warning to a me- draconian, took that may cause damage to state and dia outlet or suspending its activity.’ effect on Febru- public interests.’ ary 8.