BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/12/2006

EU President Chides Russia, Blasts Belarus

Reuters

BRUSSELS -- Outgoing EU president Finland lashed out at Russia and its ally Belarus on Monday, questioning whether Moscow was headed in the right direction and calling Belarus "a scar on the face of Europe."

Summing up the six-month EU presidency that will conclude at the end of the year, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen regretted it had proven impossible for the European Union to open talks on a new comprehensive agreement with Russia.

He said that if the start of such talks, being blocked by EU member Poland, proved impossible there was a danger EU states would fall back on bilateral pacts with Moscow and "some will do well, others will get left out."

Vanhanen said Russia was an important partner for the EU with many linked interests.

"But at the same time we have to say honestly that we are anxious about many things that are happening in Russia," he said in a speech to the European Parliament in Brussels.

"I am not convinced Russia is moving in the right direction. We need a more determined commitment to democracy, the rule of law and market economy. We don't want Russia to go down the path of authoritarianism."

Referring to deliberations on EU enlargement at a bloc summit last week, he said this was dependent on values, not artificial borders. He also took a swipe at Belarus, on which the EU has imposed sanctions for curbs on democracy.

"On our doorstep we have Belarus, a black hole on the face of European democracy, a scar on the face of Europe, a Europe that should be unblemished," he said.

Last week the European Parliament awarded its annual human rights prize to the top rival of Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in the West's latest broadside against what EU lawmakers have dubbed Europe's "last dictatorship."

Alexander Milinkevich won the award at a time the EU has stepped up moves to isolate Lukashenko and his top officials with travel bans, asset freezes and information campaigns targeting ordinary Belarussians.

Brussels and Washington criticized Lukashenko's March poll victory with 83 percent of the vote as fraudulent and have condemned what they see as widespread rights abuses.

The EU is expected this week to agree to remove trade privileges for Belarus over alleged labor abuses, but will defer the move for six months to give Minsk the chance to address the concerns.

Source:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/12/19/020.html