V4, Austria, Germany condemn repressions in Belarus

• 15.02.2011, 19:03

The Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Four countries and those of Austria and Germany has adopted a resolution condemning the crackdown on the opposition in Belarus.

The statement expresses deep concern about human rights violations in Belarus and calls to release political prisoners and stop crackdown on the media and opposition, Slovak PM Iveta Radicova read out the resolution following the summit in Bratislava on Tuesday held by theV4 countries prime ministers and PM of Germany, Austria, and Ukraine, Interfax-Zapad reports.

According to the Slovak PM, the statement was signed by heads of V4 states as well as by Austrian and German PMs. Ukrainian PM Mykola Azarov refused to put his signature under the document.

Radicova says the Visegrad Group countries emphasize the Belarusian government should adopt legislation on democratic elections. They also said they would closely follow the situation in the country.

Bratislava (Slovakia) hosted on Tuesday a summit of the prime ministers of the Visegrad Four countries, Germany, Austria, and Ukraine.

The Visegrad Group was founded in February 1991 with an aim of cooperation of three countries, Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, in their European and North Atlantic integration. The Visegrad Three became the Visegrad Four after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.