Azubalis: Belarus will take a very modest place at the EaP Summit

The release of political prisoners and democratic elections make up the foundation for Belarus-EU rapprochement.

Belarus’ opposition United Civic Party (UCP) and Lithuania’s Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), one of the largest parties in Lithuania with 33 seats in the 141-seat Seimas, signed a declaration of cooperation in Minsk on November 11, BelaPAN said.

The declaration, inked by Anatol Liabedzka, UCP Chairman and Andrius Kubilius, TS-LKD leader, says that cooperation between the two parties meets their interests, and that both parties recognize the principles of human rights, democracy and a market economy.

“Our new partners in Lithuania very adequately assess the situation in Belarus and understand the need for its rapprochement with Europe,” Mr. Liabedzka told, commenting on the declaration.

According to him, the declaration will encourage the UCP to do everything possible for the democratization of Belarus. “We realize that this problem should be solved from within our country, but international tools of influence on the situation are important as well,” he said.

Mr. Kubilius stressed that the parties would do everything they could for Belarus to embark on the path of rapprochement with Europe. “For this to happen, it is necessary that the Belarusian leadership change its political views,” he said. “The release of political prisoners and democratic elections make up the foundation for Belarus-EU rapprochement.”

Europe should do everything possible for the Belarusian people to understand what opportunities they lose because of the Lukashenka regime’s unwise policies, Mr. Kubilius noted. “I think the agreement will help us step up our effort to improve Belarus’ European prospects,” he said. Belarus will be low on Eastern Partnership summit agenda, says former Lithuanian foreign minister

Apart from Mr. Kubilius, who was Lithuania’s prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012, the TS-LKD delegation included Audronius Azubalis, who served as foreign minister between 2010 and 2012, and Mantas Ademonas, deputy chairperson of the Seimas’ human rights committee and a member of the Parliamentary Group for a Democratic Belarus.

Belarus will take a "very modest" place at the forthcoming Eastern Partnership summit, which will be held in Vilnius on November 28 and 29, irrespective of who represents it, Audronius Azubalis. “Year after year, Belarus' self-isolation from Europe increases. For example, the European Union has repeatedly invited Belarus to start Schengen visa facilitation talks, but Minsk has given no response to Brussels in a clear sign of its reluctance to reengage with Europe”, he said. Mr. Azubalis stressed that European politicians were doing their best to prevent Belarus from drifting even further away from the EU.

The Lithuanian politicians initially planned to visit Kurapaty, a Stalin-era massacre site just outside Minsk, on Monday morning to commemorate the victims of Stalinist terror, but since the Belarusian embassy in Vilnius did not grant them visas until after 10 a.m. Minsk time, they visited Kurapaty after the signing of the declaration before their departure back to Lithuania.