BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/03/2007

OSCE Holds 'Workshop' On EU Neighborhood Policy In Belarus But Some Oppositionists Refuse To Attend

A delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), led by Bundestag member Uta Zapf, held what it called a workshop on the EU Neighborhood Policy in Minsk on March 15, RFE/RL's Belarus Service and Belapan reported. The debate was attended by government officials and opposition activists. Jean-Eric Holzapfel from the Kyiv-based Delegation to Ukraine and Belarus of the European Commission said in Minsk that the European Union is prepared to move toward closer cooperation with Belarus and increase financial assistance as soon as the authorities release political prisoners, start respecting freedom of the press, abolish the death penalty, and make progress in democratic reform. Volha Abramava, a member of the Belarusian Chamber of Representatives, accused the European Union of seeking a change of government in the country. She said that the fulfillment of the EU demands by the Belarusian government would be viewed by the Belarusian people as a sign of its weakness. Another member of the Chamber of Representatives, Anatol Krasutski, called on the EU to end the "policy of sanctions and ultimatums." JM

Opposition politician Mikhail Marynich told Belapan that he turned down an invitation to attend the OSCE workshop in Minsk because of the government's ongoing oppression of the opposition. "I think that it's immoral to participate in the workshop when politicians Alyaksandr Kazulin, Pavel Sevyarynets, Mikalay Statkevich, and others are in prison; when politicians are arrested ahead of the workshop and young activists are pressured and persecuted," Marynich said. Former Deputy Foreign Minister and current opposition activist Andrey Sannikau did not participate in the OSCE workshop, either. "It is immoral to participate in events whose format was determined by the authorities," Sannikau told RFE/RL's Belarus Service. "This seminar was directed not toward promoting dialogue but toward recognizing the regime.... I know that after Uta Zapf's departure, the authorities will imprison [opposition activists Vintsuk] Vyachorka and [Vyachaslau] Siuchyk, there will be other political prisoners, and this will come as a result of the work of Uta Zapf and her group," Sannikau added. Meanwhile, Zapf told Belapan that the OSCE is planning to hold another workshop in Minsk in the fall. Zapf stressed that the EU attitude to Belarus will largely depend on how the ruling regime treats political prisoners. "I think it's very important that [the authorities] release at least a couple of political prisoners," she added, mentioning in particular Kazulin, who is serving a 5 1/2 year prison term. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/03/3-CEE/cee-160307.asp