2001 press releases

NATO Parliamentarians Conclude Visit to Belarus (March 27, 2001)

A delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, co-chaired by NATO PA Vice-President Markus Meckel and Alice Mahon, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance, visited Minsk on a fact-finding mission on 25-27 March 2001.

Over the two day visit the delegation held extensive discussions with the diplomatic community, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mikhail Khvostov, Belarusian parliamentarians, members of the political opposition not represented in Parliament, trade union leaders, potential candidates in the forthcoming presidential election, civic organisations, think tanks, media representatives, and relatives of disappeared political figures.

The NATO PA delegation expresses its conviction that Belarus has a vocation to join the family of democratic European nations. It is ready to back all efforts that will help bring about the realisation of that perspective, stressing that policies tending to isolate Belarus would be counter-productive.

It voices its concern that some recent developments, such as Decree number 8 (12 March) submitting international aid to NGO's and civic organisations to exacting government control, are not conducive to the goal of democratisation.

It considers that the conditions in which the presidential elections due later this year will be carried out shall be a key test of the Belarusian Government's real commitment to democracy.

In accordance with its conviction that an open door should be kept for Belarus' integration into European institutions, the NATO PA delegation emphasises the importance of pursuing dialogue with all the components of Belarusian society, including Belarusian Parliamentarians, with a view to furthering democracy in the country.

Background: The NATO Parliamentary Assembly, founded in 1955 with a Brussels-based secretariat, brings together 214 national parliamentarians from the 19 NATO countries. 17 Associate delegations from Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and Russia take part in nearly all Assembly activities and meetings. Since 1994 the Assembly has developed regular contacts with 10 countries of the Maghreb and Middle East, as well as Cyprus and Malta.

For more information on the visit please contact Catherine Guicherd, Deputy for Policy Coordination to the Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly Tel:  2 513 2865; Fax: 2 514 18 47 - email: cguicherd@naa.be Place du Petit Sablon 3, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgique.