I see European Union as a creative and dynamic initiative. |
MEP Justas Paleckis Office Pylimo Street 12-10, LT-01118 Vilnius, Lithuania |
EU should open all doors to Belarus (2013 07 19)By MEP Justas Vincas Paleckis, draftsperson of EP recommendation on EU policy towards Opening “all gates, doors and even windows” for people to people contacts with this country first of all by unilaterally reducing the Schengen visa costs to an affordable level could be the best incentive for democratic change in Currently Belarusians pay 60 euros for Schengen visa, while the Russians, Ukrainians and many other Eastern EU neighbours pay significantly less - 35 euros. If by imposing these high costs the EU wants to punish Alexander Lukashenko, the target is missed. Reducing the visa costs is even more relevant bearing in mind that Belarusians have been obtaining the greatest number of Schengen visas per capita in the world in recent years. This fact alone indicates the EU orientation of Belarusians. It is very important to demolish all artificial barriers at border crossings, in consulates and other institutions. The situation in the country will change only if the society changes and the society will change if there are more contacts between the EU citizens and In the past 19 years there have been 37 EP resolutions exclusively on My motivation to initiate this recommendation in autumn was due to an attitude of some prominent politicians, during unofficial meetings in the European Parliament who mentioned that The difficult situation in the country and its relation to EU, varying opinions between Belarusian oppositionists and among MEPs from different political groups on how to achieve reforms in Belarus made me feel that a broad consensus in the Foreign Affairs committee vote on the recommendation is almost a “mission impossible”. Nevertheless, we reached a compromise for which the contribution of all the shadow rapporteurs - Jacek Protasiewicz (EPP), Johannes van Baalen (LIBE), Werner Schulz (Greens) and Pawel Kowal (ECR) - was very important. I always remember the successful recipe of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany which 40 years ago declared and implemented the "Wandel durch Annäherung" (change through rapprochement) policy. Active contacts on different levels with representatives of the GDR and other countries of the Eastern Bloc resulted in changes both in We should also take into consideration the fact that the vast majority of opposition parties in With respect to The members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs chose this last option, encouraging the EU to continue its “critical engagement” policy. The unconditional and immediate release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners is an absolute prerequisite for re-establishing good relations. In the adopted recommendation, members of the European Parliament call on the Lithuanian presidency and Eastern Partnership meeting in The temporary suspension of Mr Vladimir Makei, the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs, from the list of Belarusian officials banned from entering the EU should be used first and foremost in the negotiations for the release of political prisoners. Together with another 25 MEPs who tabled amendments to the draft recommendation we stressed that the human rights situation in The European Parliament will discuss and vote on this recommendation in the September plenary session. Your comment: |