Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-15-Speech-3-116"
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"en.20060215.12.3-116"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it will come as no surprise to you that I should say that the Council is gravely concerned about the adverse developments in Belarus, particularly as regards the elections that are scheduled for 19 March. The Council has recently again had cause to consider the issue of Belarus, and we noted with concern that President Lukashenko’s regime is acting in an ever more repressive manner, becoming more and more isolated, not least of its own volition. We did of course note with satisfaction its invitation to the OSCE and ODIHR to observe the elections, which is without doubt a positive step, and one that we certainly welcome, but we are still concerned about the worsening situation in Belarus, and have justifiable cause for concern as to whether these elections will be conducted in a democratic manner.
The General Affairs and Foreign Relations Council last discussed Belarus on 30 January, and the ministers agreed on new conclusions, which carry the clear message that the OSCE’s ability to perform its electoral observation mission everywhere and without hindrance must be ensured. The Council also warned of the possibility of further restrictive measures being taken against persons in positions of responsibility if the presidential election did not meet accepted international standards.
The European Union’s policy towards Belarus was last reviewed in the conclusions of the Council on 7 November last year, which struck a balance between commitment to the people and to civil society on the one hand and, on the other, a tougher line in respect of the regime itself. They also referred to the intention of the High Representative, Mr Javier Solana, to appoint a close collaborator as his point of contact for Belarus.
We are all aware of the need to take a longer view of our work with Belarus. There is nothing bold about predicting that the elections on 19 March will bring no real change in their wake, or working on that assumption. Considerable efforts have been made to get our message across in the run-up to the elections and to ensure that it is heard clearly. It was in fact planned that there should be, at the beginning of February a high-level joint démarche involving representatives of the European Union and of the United States, namely the Council’s Director-General for external relations and political-military affairs, Robert Cooper, and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe, Dan Fried, but the authorities in Belarus refused to issue these two dignitaries with the visas that would enable them to visit the country both at the same time, and that has made such a démarche impossible.
In making it clear that the authorities in Belarus have failed to seize an opportunity for frank and free dialogue with the international community, we have not concealed our disappointment at this turn of events. Still on this subject, I would also like to mention that, on 30 January, the day of the last Council meeting, Alexander Milinkevich, the united opposition candidate in Belarus, who was visiting Brussels, had an informal meeting with representatives of the Member States, among them very many ministers, with over half the Member States represented at ministerial level. He also met with Mr Solana, with Mr Barroso, the President of the Commission, and with Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner. There is no doubt about the fact that this was a clear and unambiguous expression of the European Union’s support for the democratic process in Belarus, even though the EU cannot, of course, endorse individual candidates.
Whatever criticism Belarus deserves – and must indeed get some from us – I would like to stress that the policy of the European Union is not aimed at isolating that country. What we would like to see is a democratic, stable and economically successful Belarus – and it is our intention that it should be all those things, not least a country that is capable of becoming a member of the Council of Europe and that maintains proper, good and strong relations with the international community in general and with the European Union in particular. It is for this reason that we have made it clear that, given sustained development in the right direction, Belarus could of course benefit from the European Neighbourhood Policy.
We want to make clear our willingness to reach out to the people of Belarus and to help that country to become integrated into European structures. Although we wish to maintain normal and friendly relations with it, that is not possible under present circumstances. The Council will not turn a blind eye to the continuing violations of human rights and civil liberties, and it will continue to give voice to its concerns about the deteriorating conditions in Belarus. With the promotion of democracy in Belarus in mind, the Council is still willing to make a serious commitment to it and to cooperation with international partners; at the meeting with Mr Milinkevich that I mentioned earlier, we discussed the ways in which we might help the civil society there in its campaign for democracy, and what options are open to us as regards exerting direct influence on those elements in Belarus that are campaigning for democracy.
Even though the election result is probably a foregone conclusion, we must make a joint effort to maintain the European Union’s presence and influence in Belarus. As I have already said, the project to which the European Union is committed is a long-term one, and the present difficulties must not be allowed to discourage us or cause us to lose sight of our objective."@en1
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