Germany takes off leader's jersey in mediating contacts between EU and Belarus
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the only foreign political fund officially represented in Belarus, has to beging the process of closure, Dr Stefan Chrobot, the head of the foundation's regional representation for Ukraine and Belarus today said in a statement. The representative office of the Berlin-based foundation that works in over 100 countries around the world was opened in Belarus in 1997.
The Ebert Foundation has been a key German organization that tried to offer new ideas and concepts for the promotion of a dialogue between Germany, Europe and Belarus.
Although Stefan Chrobot maintains that the foundations has no intention to refuse from the continuation of " a constructive dialogue with the government and the civil society in Belarus", he admits that the decision about the closure of the representation in Belarus is linked with the recent political developments in this country.
«The change of conditions in Belarus and the moves by the official side have led to the situation when the closure of the representation has become inevitable", the foundation said in a press release today.
Stefan Chorbot describes the closure of the representation as "a sad fact for Belarus".
Despite a personal meeting between the German ambassador in Minsk and president Lukashenka, Germany failed to achieve the release of political prisoner Alexander Kozulin. The German diplomacy also failed, even using the principles of backstage politics, to convince the Belarusian authorities to make steps towards democratization. The recent developments -- the dispersal of the March 25 demonstration, the arrests of political activists and the crackdown on independent media at the background of the diplomatic row with the United States -- have led to the situation when Germany decided to take off temporarily its leader's jersey in trying to establish a dialogue between EU and Belarus, reports AFN.
The Ebert Foundation has been a key German organization that tried to offer new ideas and concepts for the promotion of a dialogue between Germany, Europe and Belarus.
Although Stefan Chrobot maintains that the foundations has no intention to refuse from the continuation of " a constructive dialogue with the government and the civil society in Belarus", he admits that the decision about the closure of the representation in Belarus is linked with the recent political developments in this country.
«The change of conditions in Belarus and the moves by the official side have led to the situation when the closure of the representation has become inevitable", the foundation said in a press release today.
Stefan Chorbot describes the closure of the representation as "a sad fact for Belarus".
Despite a personal meeting between the German ambassador in Minsk and president Lukashenka, Germany failed to achieve the release of political prisoner Alexander Kozulin. The German diplomacy also failed, even using the principles of backstage politics, to convince the Belarusian authorities to make steps towards democratization. The recent developments -- the dispersal of the March 25 demonstration, the arrests of political activists and the crackdown on independent media at the background of the diplomatic row with the United States -- have led to the situation when Germany decided to take off temporarily its leader's jersey in trying to establish a dialogue between EU and Belarus, reports AFN.
