Brussels to host conference on “road map” for EU-Belarus relations on Tuesday

A conference called “A road map for Belarus” will take place in Brussels on March 31 on the initiative of three European Parliament groups.

The agenda of the conference, organized by the European Parliament’s groups representing the Party of European Socialists (PES), the European People’s Party-European Democrats (EPP-ED) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), focuses on a possible “road map” for the development of relations between the EU and Belarus.

The event will be attended by, among others, EPP-ED Chairman Joseph Daul, PES Chairman Martin Schulz, ALDE Chairman Graham Watson, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering, and Jacek Protasiewicz, chairman of the European Parliament’s Delegation on Relations with Belarus.

Heather McGill of Amnesty International is expected to present a report on Belarus’ Criminal Code, while Zhanna Litvina, chairwoman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, and Marc Gruber of the International Federation of Journalists will speak about the country’s new Media Law.

Janez Lenarcic, director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, will speak about Belarus’ Electoral Code and Anzelika Borys, leader of the unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus, will deliver a report on the current situation regarding the rights of ethnic minorities in the country.

In addition, the speakers include Anatol Lyabedzka, leader of the United Civic Party, and former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich.

Taking part in the conference also will be representatives of the European Commission and the EU Council, while it is yet unclear whether any Belarusian officials or diplomats will attend.

According to Mr. Lyabedzka, the European Parliament will adopt a resolution on the situation in Belarus in April and the conference may influence the contents of the document.

When reached by BelaPAN on Monday, a representative of the European Parliament said that it was unclear whether a delegation of MEPs would visit Belarus in April as originally planned. //BelaPAN