Jaraslau Bekish: Statement made by Freedom House contradicts the essence of the EaP
Belarusan authorities should be invited to the EU and EaP summit; otherwise the break of any official communication can take place.
This was reported to the EuroBelarus Information Service by Belarusan National Coordinator of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Jaraslau Bekish.
- The statement made by the representative of Freedom House contradicts the essence of the EaP. We should invite Belarusan authorities at least so that to remind them about the fact that our country has properly participated in the development of Belarusan and European relations, on the Eastern Partnership line as well, - he noted.
Let us recall that the head of the American non-governmental organization Freedom House David Kramer urges to abstain from inviting representatives of Belarusan authorities to the “Eastern Partnership” and European Union summit in Vilnius. He doesn’t think that the representatives of Belarusan authorities should be present there if the current situation will remain the same. Kramer would like civil society activists and human rights fighters to represent Belarus. “I am not saying “never talk to the government”; this is impossible. But we shouldn’t provide people from the government with the same platform that Eastern Partnership has”, - assumes David Kramer.
Belarusan authorities should be invited to the events such as EU and “Eastern Partnership” Summit. Otherwise, if they are not invited, then it will be a break of any official communication at all, assumes Jaraslau Bekish.
- Look what is happening now with the realization of the Eastern Partnership program and with the “European dialog on Modernization of Belarus”, – he says. – Everything what is done within the scope of these initiatives is carried out with efforts of the civil society, and the authorities are not participating in it. If the authorities are not participating, then our participation also becomes pointless. “Eastern Partnership” and EaP Civil Society Forum are about the countries building normal relations between themselves and with the EU, and building it at different levels at that, at civil society level as well, which has its own mission in it that is inseparably connected with other levels. But if anything happens neither at parliamentary level nor at top one, then EaP CSF has practically nothing to do.
The same thing is with the “Dialog on Modernization”. If there is no dialog at national level, then civil society has to think how to make this dialog happen. And how to make Belarus become one of two sides in it at that. Neither Belarusan authorities, nor Belarusan opposition, nor Belarusan civil society separately, but Belarus itself. That is why the authorities should be invited without fail.
According to Jaraslau Bekish, National Platform of the EaP CSF will utter its position (probably, in the form of an open letter) and will react to the announcement of the leader of Freedom House that Belarusan authorities are not to be invited to the Eastern Partnership and European Union summit in Vilnius.
Eastern Partnership and European Union summit is to take place in November of this year in Vilnius. Lithuanian representatives hope that the leaders of the large EU countries will visit this event, too.
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