Estonian Foreign Minister says EU should force Belarus respect human rights

On 22 April the Tallinn-based EU Information Center hosted a debate on Belarus’ membership in the Eastern Partnership program, featuring the Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, MP Andres Herkel, as well as Belarusian students, studying in Estonia.
‘Minister Paet stressed that the European Union’s objective was making Minsk respect human rights in the country and observe international standards in the sphere. Otherwise, the EU may within a short period of time reimpose all its former sanctions on the existing regime,’ said the initiator of the meeting head of the Open Republic youth NGO Yauhen Kryshtafovich.
‘There is no doubt that changes do not occur within half a year, but, as the MP Herkel and Mr. Kryshtafovich stressed, Lukashenka could have abolish the controversial articles within 30 minutes. The cooperation is only possible in case it is mutual,’ said Ihar Sluchak, Belarusian student of Tartu University.