EU Ambassadors Meet with Representatives of Belarusian NGOs

On 17 September 2003 at the Embassy of the Lithuania the meeting of the Ambassadors from the countries of the European Unions and the countries that are candidates to it with representatives of the NGOs of Belarus took place. Such NGOs as Association of Belarusian Language, Human Rights Center “Viasna”, Belarusian Association of Journalists, resource center “Supolnasc”, “Legal Assistance to Population”, “Ratusha” (Hrodna), “Vezha” (Brest), “Kola Siabrow” (Mahiliow) etc. took part in it.

The reason for the meeting were the complicated relations between Belarusian NGOs and authorities. At the meeting members of NGOs spoke about the trials on liquidation of NGOs in Belarus and other pressurization techniques, applied by Belarusian authorities. All of them agreed that the authorities try to get rid of the public control of the future Parliamentary election and the possible referendum about the prolongation of Lukashenka’s powers. Leaders of the NGOs stated that their organization, irrespectively to the fact whether their juridical status was or was not preserved, would actively continue their work on strengthening and development of the civic society. In their speeches the Ambassadors expressed their moral support to the NGOs and expressed the hope that sooner or later Belarus will join the community of the European countries.