Stubb was surprised that repressions against opposition take place

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb who was in Minsk on a visit, met representatives of the Belarusian opposition after meetings with officials.

Alexander Stubb stated that the aim of his visit was preparation for a report to ministers of the EU countries who will meet on October 13 in Luxemburg. Belarusian Foreign Minister Syarhei Martynau is invited to it as well, Radio Svaboda informs.

After meetings with officials Mr Stubb noted that the time had come to define the new role of Belarus in the international community. He noted that “he never believed in isolation, he always believed in cooperation”. Besides, Mr Stubb noted that it is important for him to learn about the position of the democratic forces in Belarus as well.

Yesterday about 10 representatives of the democratic forces met with him. Among them were the chairman of the United Democratic Party Anatol Lyabedzka, the first deputy chairman f the Belarusian Popular Front party Vintsuk Vyachorka, the chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramada) Anatol Lyaukovich, of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich, the leader of the “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich.

Vintsuk Vyachorka told that the major part of the meeting Mr Stubb was listening to representatives of the Belarusian opposition, and in the end he summed up:

“I think that it was a surprise for him that there were repressions against democratic candidates in different forms during the campaign. It was a certain novelty for him that in reality we as participants of this campaign hadn’t noticed any considerable and even little changes as compared with the previous campaigns.

It is possible some personal sanctions would be suspended, but only for some time.

We reminded him that there is a strategy of the European Commission on Belarus formulated rather well. It hasn’t lost its importance. All its requirements are based on values. They cannot be scaled down or shortened. And as he stated in the end of the conversation, all these 12 requirements remain in force, and it is obvious that the proposal to Foreign Ministers of the EU is to be formulated in their spirit. And it is possible that some personal sanctions can be suspended at this meeting, but only for some time. And they won’t be continued only under condition of fulfillment of significant, considerable steps by the current regime,” Vintsuk Vyachorka said.

Representatives of the democratic forces enumerated spheres in which these steps are to be made. Firstly it is the electoral legislation and practice, presence of politically motivated articles in the Criminal Code, laws on media, mass events and political parties. All of them, according to Mr Vyachorka, require democratization:

“I told Mr Stubb that in reality Lukkashneka has a very wide field for proving good will for the country’s democratization,” Vintsuk Vyachorka said.