Andrei Sannikov: “Solana’s actions hold EU up to ridicule”
- 25.09.2008, 15:23
Coordinator of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Andrei Sannikov thinks the yesterday’s phone conversation between Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Alyaksandr Lukashenka “won’t influence the improving of the situation in Belarus but only give assurance of its impunity to the regime of Lukashenka”.
“Such actions of the EU High Representative Javier Solana, like the recent meeting of Polish foreign minister Sikorski with Martynau don’t only undermine the foundation of the European Union but hold the EU up to ridicule,” Andrei Sannikov told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center.
The leader of the “European Belarus” reminded that earlier Solana had criticised the Belarusian regime and condemned the lawlessness and political repressions.
“This trick in the behaviour of the EU High Representative is gratuitous. Even those oppositionists who go on running in the “election” say in one accord about the election farce, falsifications, about the pressure over the opposition, which doesn’t weaken but tightens. It is the most inconvenient time to play the role of peacekeepers, because the EU officials connive at falsifications and strengthen the regime, actively condemned by them recently. This won’t influence improving of situation in Belarus but only give assurance of its impunity to the regime of Lukashenka,” the politician believes.
It should be reminded that Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, had a phone conversation on September 24.
“A number of issues on inner political situation in Belarus and cooperation with the European Union were discussed during the conversation. It was emphasised that a new leaf in the relations between Belarus and the EU may be turned over,” the press service of Lukashenka says.
A. Lukashenka and J. Solana “have agreed on continuing of the started dialog after the High Representative returns from New York, where he is taking part in the session of the UN General Assembly”.