Working Group on Belarus visits Minsk
MINSK, 22 December 2009
Members of the Working Group met with the Delegation of Belarus to the OSCE PA, the OSCE Office in Minsk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Central Election Commission, and representatives of civil society and media, as well as a wide range of political forces in Belarus.
In their meetings, Members of the Group noted the active participation of the Belarusian parliamentarians in the OSCE, and encouraged the Belarusian authorities to further dialogue with OSCE institutions, including the Office in Minsk. In meetings with election officials, as well as with parliamentarians, political party representatives and civil society, the Group discussed the new election legislation amendments and follow-up to recommendations made by recent OSCE Election Observation Missions.
“We appreciate the intensified dialogue with OSCE and other institutions with regard to democratic reforms in Belarus, however we note that there is much work to be done,” Ms. Wigstrom said. “We are particularly concerned about freedom of association and media, and the possibility of political parties and civil society to fully participate in the political life of the country.”
The OSCE PA Delegation welcomed the ongoing co-operation with the Belarusian Delegation to the OSCE PA, and plans to organize the next in a series of joint parliamentary seminars in Minsk in March 2010.
The OSCE PA Working Group on Belarus is tasked with facilitating dialogue between the Government and opposition of Belarus, aiming to promote free and fair election processes and aid in the development of democracy. The Working Group is Chaired by Uta Zapf, Germany and includes MPs from six OSCE participating States.
Contact:
Klas Bergman, Director of Communications, OSCE PA. Tel. +45 33 37 80 40; mob. +45 60 10 83 80; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Anna Chernova, Program Officer, OSCE PA. Tel. +45 33 37 80 40; mob. +45 60 10 83 83; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it