Polish media about Alyaksandr Milinkevich's visit to USA
- 26.05.2010, 12:35
The leader of "For Freedom" movement Alyaksandr Milinkevich has held a number of important meetings in Washington.
During the visit to the US the oppositional politician and candidiate for presidency Alyaksandr Milinkevich tried to persuade American politicians not to cut down support to the Belarusian democratic forces and coordinated the policty towards Belarus with the EU, PAP informational agency (Poland) reports.
Milinkevich worries that in efforts to improve relations with Russia, Barack Obama's administration "move into the background" support to independent civil movements in the countries of the foremr Soviet Union.
"The policy of the US has changed priorities slightly. We see that Americans deny support to civil society and independent media. We want to persuade them that it is very important to continue supporting freedom in Belarus," Milinkevich said on Tuesday after talks with representatives of the Administration and the Congress.
The Belarusian candidate has held meetings at the Capitol Hill the with prominent law-makers, including Senator John McCain, a former US presidential candidate, and Co-Chariman of the Helsinki Commission of the Congress, as well as with a Democrat Congressman Alcee Hastings.
At the Department of State Alyaksandr Milinkevich met with Deputy Director of the European Department Lawrence Silverman, who is in charge of the US relations with Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.
To the question whether his proposals encountered understanding, Milinkevich answered that his main aim was to persuade the US to pursue a common policy with the EU towards Belarus.
"There is approval, there is understanding, but it is not possible for everything to change immediately. I do not think that I have such possibilties. But the meetings were very important. First of all, the issue under discussion is that coordiation and cooperation between the US and the EU concerning Belarus are necessary, for them to speak in one voice. Then we will have good results, though everything depends on us only, not on the EU and the US," ha said.
Milinkevich added that in particular, support of the independent TV channel Belsat, which is viewed by 7% of the populatio already, as well as the program of help to the repressed are important for him. "Poland has such programs, it is important for other countries to join," he said.
The Belarusian candidate was accompanied by Polish European deputies Krzysztof Lisek and Jacek Protasiewicz from Platforma Obywatelska (The Civic Platform). The latter stated that the US Department of State had assured Milinkevich that this year assistance for democracy in Belarus won't be reduced, and it could even grow the new year.
Milinkevich and Lisek have also told that they have met with leadership of US NGOs who are involved in backing civic movements, including president of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Carl Gershman, who promised help.
The elections in Belarus are to take place in the period between November and January of the next year. Milinkevich admitted that possibly he won't be a single opposition's candidate.
Alyaksandr Milinkevich, who had already challenged Belarusian president Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the last election, states that "opposition in Belarus is not weak". He also hopes that independent observers, including the ones from Russia, would be present at the elections.
The candidate said that he does not fear any accusations of the Belarusian government of carrying out the campaign with the help of Polish MEPs, that is with the help of politicians from foreign states.
"I do not pay attention to what propaganda is saying, as it is lying. Poland was and remains the country which supports democracy in Belarus most of all. I do not fear that they would say againt that Milinkevich is a Polish spy. They said that I am "a Jewish spy" previously...," he said.
"We are here for historical reasons too. In 1989 Poland recieved big aid from the US. Today we, Poles, come here to say Americans: you should help once again, as there is an undemocratic country in Europe where dictatorship rules," said Member of the European parliament Krzysztof Lisek.