Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton on the request of the Belarusian authorities that the EU Head Delegation and Polish Ambassador to Minsk leave the country for consultations

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/01/2012 - 08:46

Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy and Vice President of the Commission, made today the following statement:

"Following today's request by the Belarusian authorities that the Head of  the EU Delegation in Minsk and the Ambassador of Poland to Belarus leave the country for consultations, I have decided, in coordination with Foreign Minister Sikorski, that we will recall for consultations our two ambassadors.

At the same time, I have called a meeting of Member States Ambassadors (PSC) in Brussels today to coordinate our response. In an expression of solidarity and unity, it was  agreed that the ambassadors of the EU Member States in Minsk will all be withdrawn for consultations to their capitals. All EU Member States will also summon Belarusian ambassadors to their foreign ministries. 

We will continue to follow the situation closely."

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/...

News of Belarus

President welcomes the release of Ales Bialiatski

Submitted by admin on Sat, 06/21/2014 - 00:00

Today, Ales Bialiatski, a prominent Belarusian human rights defender who became the first laureate of the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize in 2013, was released from prison after spending almost three years behind bars.

Commission Starts Negotiations of Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements with Belarus

Submitted by admin on Tue, 02/04/2014 - 00:00

Commission DG for Home Affairs, Stefano Manservisi and Belarus Deputy Foreign Minister Alena Kupchyna met in Brussels to launch the negotiations on Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements between the EU and Belarus. Since 2011 the Commission has been regularly reminding of its readiness to launch the negotiations.

The negotiations will focus on agreements to facilitate the procedures for issuing short-stay visas as well as the readmission of irregular migrants between the European Union and Belarus.

Political prisoner Ales Bialiatski could walk free

Submitted by admin on Tue, 01/21/2014 - 00:00

The political prisoner can be “pardoned” if “it is proved the damage he caused with the tax fraud has been repaid.”