Discussion dedicated to relations between Belarus and EU to take place in Brussels

The discussion “Six moths later: what problems await the relations between Belarus and the European Union” will take place in Brussels on March 4. It will be organized by factions of the Party of European Socialists and the European People’s Party of the European Parliament, Pontis fund and a non-governmental organization “Office for democratic Belarus”.
Let us remind you that head of EU Foreign Ministries decided to suspend the sanctions imposed on a number of Belarusian officials and the leader of the state for half a year at the end of last October. It was announced that it had been done to support democratic reforms in Belarus.

Participants of the today’s discussion in Brussels will be asked to discuss the following problems: whether there is enough progress in the field of democratic reforms in Belarus to justify the expansion of contacts between the EU and the Belarusian authorities; whether “the liberalization” in Belarus can continue after April and some other issues.

The EU will be represented by Head of Political Section at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union Helga Schmidt, Deputy Director General for External Relations at the European Commission Hugues Mingarelli and Head of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Belarus Jacek Protosevich. Belarus will be represented by our Ambassador to Belgium Uladzimir Syanko, the chairperson of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhanna Litvina, political scientists Vital Silitski and Uladzimir Matskevich and a human rights activist Ales Byalyatski.  

BelaPAN