Sinikka Hurskainen heading PACE Sub-Committee on Belarus

• 23.01.2008, 9:25

A new head of the PACE sub-committee on Belarus was chosen. Sinikka Hurskainen, Finnish member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe followed Estonian MP Andres Herkel as head of the Sub-Committee. Meanwhile the discussion of the Belarusian situation at the session of the Political Affairs Committee of the PACE has finished in Strasbourg.

Italian MP Andrea Rigoni, rapporteur on Belarus, read his report on the situation in the country. Preparing the report, Mr. Rigoni visited Minsk in October 2007. Rigoni said there was no alternative to a dialog, Radio Svaboda informs.

The representatives of the Belarusian authorities in Strasbourg said there were no political prisoners in Belarus, and the representatives of the political opposition declared the situation with human rights was getting worse. The session was open for any PACE member interested in the situation in Belarus. 50 people were present there.

Experts, learnt the Andrea Rigoni’s report, mark: in comparison with the reports by his predecessors, Christos Pourgourides and Andres Herkel, it looks much softer and more restrained. The new rapporteur on Belarusian affairs suggested to keep carrying on a dialog with Belarus. Though he admits it is not an easy task.

Vintsuk Vyachorka, who participated in the yesterday’s discussion in Strasbourg, draws the attention to the fact how the representatives of the Belarusian authorities understand the dialog and how this attitude was reflected in the speech of Natallya Adreichyk, representing the official view:

“They want a dialog with the PACE and the Council of Europe, but in no case with their people and democratic forces. The most frequent phrase said by Mrs. Andreichyk was rioters in the streets. I said that today after events in January and December we can’t speak about softer attitude towards Belarus.”