1997 press releases

U.S. Response to Closure of Soros Foundation (September 5, 1997)

The United States deeply regrets that actions by the Government of Belarus have made it necessary for the Belarus Soros Foundation to close its offices in Belarus. The behavior of the Government of Belarus toward the Belarus Soros Foundation sends a very negative message about the intentions of the Government of Belarus regarding democracy and human rights. The Soros programs have been widely welcomed by the leaders and the people of other countries in the region. The people of Belarus, as well as the Government of Belarus, have benefited extensively from Soros funding.

We call on the government of Belarus to resume the constructive course that its neighbors in Eastern Europe and the New Independent States are following toward development of open societies and free markets. The Government of Belarus must abide by its international commitments, notably to the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE), to permit the free flow of information and the establishment of democratic institutions.