§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Government policy towards human rights in Belarus; and what representations he has made to the Government of Belarus on this issue. [121494]
§ Mr. VazHer Majesty's Government regularly raise our concerns over the human rights situation in Belarus with the Belarusian authorities. Our Embassy in Minsk is in close contact with human rights groups, trades unions and members of the Belarusian opposition. Embassy officials have been attending trials of members of the Belarusian opposition including the ongoing trial against 29W Mr. Chigir, former Prime Minister. During 2000, we have funded visits to the UK by two members of the Belarusian Independent Trade Unions. Mr. Vyachorka, Chairman of the BPF-Renewal party, will visit the UK next week for a series of meetings. Mr. Sharetsky, Speaker of the 13th Supreme Soviet (former Parliament disbanded by President Lukashenko in 1996), is planning to visit the UK in early June and will have meetings with senior officials.
EU policy towards Belarus is based around the General Affairs Council Conclusions of September 1997 which substantially restrict relations pending demonstrable improvements on constitutional and human rights matters. The EU has made a number of representations to the Government of Belarus including, most recently, a Declaration deploring the use of force by the Belarusian authorities to suppress an opposition-organised march in March 2000 and a formal representation on human rights concerns in April 2000.