Secretary-General of Council of Europe and German Foreign Minister head discussed human rights in Belarus

• 21.01.2010, 14:45

Thorbjørn Jagland and Guido Westerwelle expressed confidence that reforms in Belarus in the human rights sphere are necessary.

As informed by the website of German Foreign Ministry, on January 19 the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland visited Berlin on an official visit. During the visit and a meeting with the head of German diplomacy Guido Westerwelle they discussed the role of the European Convention on human rights in strengthening cooperation between the European Union and the Council of Europe, and creation of a single legal space for defence of rights of people all over Europe, Radio Svaboda informs.

In this connection Jagland and Westerwelle paid special attention on the situation with human rights in the states neighbouring the EU, Belarus, Russia and Georgia.

In line with the previous statements of the both countries, the Council of Europe and the German Foreign Ministry stand for implementing reforms in Belarus, and primarily in the sphere of human rights.

The exchange of opinions in Berlin took place on the eve of Thorbjørn Jagland’s addressing members of the countries members of the Council of Europe on Wednesday, January 20.

In that address the head of the Council of Europe offered his proposals concerning the organization reform in response to the challenges Europe is facing today.