Anna Fotyga: Banning Of Charter’97 Should Be Assessed As Turning Point In Relations With Belarus

The MEP urged to put pressure on the Lukashenka regime.

At the International Conference «Belarus 2018: The Voice of the Civil Society» MEP, Ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Mrs. Anna Fotyga reminded about the blocking of Charter’97 website in Belarus and suggested this should be regarded as a reason to stop contacts between the EU and the Lukashenka regime. She posted the text of her speech on Facebook and her personal website:

"It would be interesting to know how people of Belarus perceived Zapad exercises and whether they viewed it as a possibility of silent annexation, some sort of creeping annexation of Belarus.

I hope that High Representative, Ms Mogherini and Commissioner Hahn will realize the following. Banning of Charter 97 website can be perceived as just one more case in series of intimidations. But it rather should be assessed as a turning point within Belarus. It is a shrewd step, and Lukashenka wants to keep the blockage in place.

I am absolutely sure that there is no time for critical engagement EU-Belarus, but it is a high time for pressure on Lukashenka regime".