Council of Europe extends a hand to Belarus

The Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe (PACE) has granted Special Guest status to Belarus, June 2009, with the intention of strengthening ties - provided Belarus makes positive changes in the area of human rights.

At the same time the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, told EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner that he 'sincerely wants to build good relations' with the EU.

• Primary Source

BBC News, 22.6.09: Belarus warms relations with EU http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8112946.stm

European Commission: DG External Relations: The EU and Belarus http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/belarus/index_en.htm

Council of Europe: Press Release, No.504, 2009: Belarus: PACE ready to restore Special Guest status if a moratorium on death penalty is decreed https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1463617&Site=DC&BackColorInternet=F5CA75&BackColorIntranet=F5CA75&BackColorLogged=A9BACE&RefreshDocsCache=yes

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4419684,00.html http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4419684,00.html

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