Opposition politicians met Bundestag member Marieluise Beck
- 21.04.2009, 9:57
Head of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka and head of the organizing committee on creating the Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Hramada” Mikola Statkevich met member of the Greens in Bundestag Marieluise Beck in Minsk on April 20 .
Marieluise Beck is a member of the foreign affaires committee and represents the opposition in the parliament. The Bundestag member was interested if the EU strategy towards Belarus, carried out with active participation of Germany, is used and supported by the democratic forces.
“It is how she formulated the aims and tasks of her trip to Belarus,” Anatol Lyabedzka told ucpb.org website.
“We have a rather critical opinion on this strategy. Though we favour inclusion of Belarus in the Eastern Partnership program and 9-month visa ban reprieves for certain officials,” he said.
However, Lyabedzka noted that steps forward the Belarusian authorities are not effective if Belarus doesn’t fulfil its “homework”. According to him, a dialogue between Europe and official Minsk without participation of the democratic forces and open agenda is a deadlock. The Belarusian politicians explained why the large majority of the representatives of the democratic forces stand against Lukashenka’s visit to Prague and against a fact of invitation of him for a European summit.
“It is a weak step of Europe. It doesn’t solve any of the problems. Lukashenka is not motivated to change the situation and then receive an invitation. He is invited at first. He is not motivated to change anything connected with the electoral laws and the situation with mass media in the country,” Lyabedzka said.
The opposition politician handed a road map of the democratic forces (plan of Belarus’s democratization) to Marieluise Beck. This document is also supported by non-governmental organization. The member of Bundestag asked how the “Russian factor” was important towards Belarus and if there were any increase in risks and threats.
“Our common position is that we can’t say about sharp increase in threats of Russia. In some degree, influence of this factor has even decreased, because Russia is more concerned over its inner problems now,” the UCP leader said.