Marholin: Authorities do not enter dialogue so far
- 21.05.2012, 16:02
Sessions of working group in the framework of working groups of “European Dialogue on Modernization of Belarus” are taking place in Minsk.
One of the participants of this dialogue, a deputy chairman of the United Civil Party Leu Marholin tells ucpb.org website about these meetings.
Today the session of a working group of the Experts’ Council, which is to deal with the issues of economy, social reforms and privatization, has taken place. The session took place under the chairmanship of representatives of the European Commission, German and Polish Ambassadors Christof Weil and Leszak Szarepka. The session had mostly an organizational character, the topics of further projects have been set, coordinators appointed. They are to collect materials on these issues. There were rather many Belarusian representatives. Members of the United Civil Party, the Belarusian Christian Democracy, the Belarusian Popular Front, “For Freedom” movement, as well as Business Union called after Kunyauski and the Union of Entrepreneurs have participated. There were also representatives of the Institute of Privatization and Management and the BISS. An animated discussion of the topics has taken place, all kinds of proposals were made, and finally participants managed to come to a consensus. The next session with more concrete topics is to be held next month.
- What kind of working groups it was? Who had organized them and with what aims?
- The working groups have been organized on an initiative of the European Commission, and appropriate decisions had been adopted in Brussels in March. They are to formulate vision of the civil society of Belarus on the most important issues. There are 4 working groups: on political issues, on economy issues, on the issues of trade and the fourth – on legal issues. According to the statements of current moderators, Ambassadors of Germany and Poland, the European Union is interested in formulation of the vision of the solution for the most important issues as representatives of the civil society of Belarus see it. So the groundwork made now is to be reported to representatives of the European Commission. And as for the terms of action of these working groups, as said by the organisers, the work is meant to e continued for a rather long term: up to September election and after.
- As far as I understand, the umbrella name is the European Dialogue for Belarus’ Modernization?
- Yes.
- Have representatives of official Minsk been invited for participation in this work?
- Yes, they have been invited, but there have been no answer so far. Though all present unanimously observed that their participation would have been desirable.