Milinkevich: Lukashenka’s Belarus means also-ran for Europe

• 28.11.2007, 8:30

Commenting the results of Riga conference “The Baltic States and the EU Neighbourhood Policy” held on November, 23, Alyaksandr Milinkevich said Europe regards Lukashenka’s Belarus as an also-ran, which is hard to have dialog on cooperation with.

According to him, such countries as Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine, unlike Belarus were often mentioned at the conference.

“Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine were mentioned in the context of realisation of programmes on cooperation with the EU, but Belarus is something like an also-ran,” the movement “For Freedom” leader said in the interview to AFN.

Alyaksandr Milinkevich thinks it is blame of the authorities, because society does its best to normalise relation with the EU. “We can recommend, analyse, give advice, build ties, but the authorities should give effect to it,” the movement “For Freedom” leader thinks.

Former candidate for presidency of Belarus noted that Belarusian authorities should first of all release political prisoners. Only after that a constructive dialog on cooperation between the EU and Belarus is possible.

“We have been offered a very beneficial cooperation with one condition – democracy in the country. All countries cooperating with the EU fulfil such conditions. It’s not a claim only on our country,” AFN quotes the oppositional politician. He also stressed that it is said about gradual process of democratisation, because “nobody demands democratisation to take one day.”