PACE ready for dialogue with Belarus

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is ready for dialogue with Belarus. It was announced on April 21 by Rapporteur on Belarus of the PACE's Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, Andrea Rigoni. At the meeting of the Committee of the Assembly of Political Affairs and Democracy in Strasbourg attended by a representative of the Belarusian Parliament (Mikalai Samaseika, chairman of the International Relations' Commission of the House of REpresentatives), and representatives of the civil society (human rights activist Valyantsin Stefanovich and social activist Ales Lahvinets).

"We are ready for the dialogue with you, we are open to it. It is very important to lay the foundations for dialogue. Our committee could contribute to it," said Rigoni.

Andrea Rigoni noted the unresolved problems of the death penalty in Belarus, to the fact that the moratorium has not been introduced. He also spoke about the pressure on the political prisoner Mikola Statkevich: "I have, of course, been informed about the pressure excercised on Mr. Statkevich, who is kept in solitary confinement. This causes our concern." According to the Special Rapporteur, the Council of Europe and PACE need to make sure that the Belarusian authorities have the will and desire to follow the main European values." There can be no trade-offs here," said Andrea Rigoni.

Rigoni said that the day of the presidential election in Belarus "will be an important test of how Belarus strives to improve relations with the Council of Europe and other international organizations."

Photo: Euroradio, ria.ru