Stanislau Shushkevich: “The key point is for the EU not to forget about conditions to Belarusian regime”

• 17.03.2009, 10:58

The former head of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich believes that overcoming the moratorium on sanctions against Belarusian officials, the EU demonstrates inconsistency of its policy.

As stated by Stanislau Shushkevich in an interview to the Charter’97 press-centre, sanctions against Belarusian officials were ineffective from the start.

“These sanctions were ineffective,” Stanislau Shushkevich said. “It does not matter that they have been suspended. Another thing is when the EU High Representative arrived to Belarus and says that he has no conditions to offer for the Belarusian regime. And he forgets completely that in 2006 the EU offered 12 conditions on democratization to Lukashenka’s regime. The key point is for the EU not to forget about these conditions offered for Belarus”.

According to the former chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, suspension of the sanctions still does not mean that Lukashenka would be invited to the EU Summit in Prague May 7.

“If Lukashenka would be invited to the EU summit in Prague, it would demonstrate that Europe is engaged in “confusion”, the Belarusian politician said. “First they ban entry to him, and then allow entry. And now, during the crisis, Europe starts to rescue Lukashenka. By the way, the EU is inconsistent in the issue of imposing sanctions too”.

When all closest relatives of Belarusian officials go to Europe for holidays, and their children study in prestigious universities, it is not important for them whether the European sanctions are in force or not. They will go for holidays to Turkey without trouble, it is not worse there,” Stanislau Shushkevich believes.