Belarus envoy attacks EU’s cold-shoulder treatment

Date: 27/06/02

By David Cronin

THE EU's treatment of Belarus as a pariah state has been branded short-sighted by the country's ambassador to Brussels.

Alexander Lukashenko's administration has been largely cold-shouldered by the Union since 1997, following loud complaints from human rights organisations and opposition groups about his autocratic style of leadership.

But ambassador Sergei Martynov argues that the Union's isolation of Minsk has prevented it from liaising about issues which directly affect the EU.

The lack of dialogue is all the more crucial because the ten million Belarussians will be immediate neighbours to EU countries when Poland and Lithuania join the Union in 2004.

Immigration is cited as the main example of lack of cooperation.

In an interview with European Voice, Martynov said his country had tabled a proposal to the European Commission and Council of Ministers on setting up talks on the subject in April.

No response has been received yet.

'This gives you a striking example of how things are not working between the EU and Belarus,' he said.

He also attacked MEPs for condemning the recent Belarussian decision to refuse a visa for Andrew Carpenter, a senior monitor from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. A European Parliament motion welcomed efforts by Carter's Advisory and Monitoring Group to introduce political and economic reform in the country.

But Martynov claimed that such work did not fall within the group's mandate. 'Pressure on this issue is coming on us from all quarters,' he added. 'But we don't respond to pressure.'

Martynov admitted that Belarus is not 'a beacon for democracy' but argued it is taking concrete measures to improve freedom of expression. These include allowing independent TV stations to broadcast.

Martynov also said it is vital that Belarus be consulted about anti-terrorist measures. Lithuania has asked Belarus to work with it to ensure the security of its nuclear complex, Ignalina. Fears that it could a terrorist target have been raised by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

'There should be more cooperation on issues like this,' the ambassador remarked. 'These are issues of practical importance for the EU and it is doing a disservice to its own taxpayers by denying this is a common issue.'

The EU's treatment of Belarus as a pariah state has been branded short-sighted by the country's ambassador to Brussels, Sergei Martynov.