The joint statement made by Belarusan democratic leaders, calling upon the EU for promotion of greater openness of the Belarusian society and for carrying out economic reforms, can only be welcomed.

This opinion shared Ulad Vialichka, the chairman of the International Consortium "EuroBelarus" made to the EuroBelarus Information Service.

Let us recall that on April  8 Alaksej Janukevich, leader of the BPF Party, Uladzimir Niakliaeu, leader of the civil campaign “Tell the Truth” and Alaksandr Milinkevich, leader of the movement “For Freedom” made a joint statement “More Europe for Belarus”.

“This document demonstrates that these political subjects are trying to give an active reaction to the situation that emerged in the Europe-Belarus relations, which “hung” in some obscure condition. Yet it is unknown whether they will get defrosted or will remain in that “half-dead condition,” Ulad Vialichka said.

“I support kind of statements. It is one of those steps that political players should undertake," he emphasized. "I believe that to address the EU with suggestions to take certain actions without waiting any initiative from the EU side is a right thing to do”.

Message to both sides

Speaking about the real possibility of fulfilling the proposals mentioned in the statement, the chairman of EuroBelarus noted that “politics is exactly the sphere where a lot of things are possible. When we want to solve some untypical tasks, they can be unsolvable in the traditional forms we are used to, i.e. within some councils, institutions, etc. However, they can well be solved with the help of some political means. It means that the presence of political will also provides us with the possibility to solve the problem, even if there are no standard instruments for that”.

Ulad Vialichka noted that such questions as border traffic, simplification of visa system, participation of the Belarusan youth in some student programmes are quite solvable. “Even if it is impossible to solve them in the form “you asked — we’ve done”, this request can at least be heard by people in the EU responsible for taking decisions so that they start acting. You only need political will and interest for that,” stated the chairperson of EuroBelarus.

He also noted that the statement addressed not only the EU but Belarusan authorities as well. Ulad Vialichka recalled that the recurrent request to release political prisoners as well as the intention to revert back to the round table discussions of the “common temporal plan” remains the main condition of defrosting Belarus-Europe relations.

You cannot impede something that doesn’t even exist

He expressed doubt that the statement aimed at the dialog between the EU and the Belarusan authorities can somehow impede consolidation processes within opposition: “If consolidating processes are going on in the Belarusan opposition, than this statement can really present some obstacle; however, I don’t see any consolidation processes for now”.

“I consider this statement to be positioning the Belarusan political players (the movement “For Freedom”, “Tell the Truth” civil campaign and the BPF Party) as some group within the opposition that shares more or less common stance. There can be some differences, but on the whole these political subjects are allies. And I think that this is one of those messages that the applicants want to be clear,” Ulad Vialichka noticed. The chairperson of EuroBelarus also offered to ask yourself a question why the statement has only three signers. “It is obvious that this situation is no coincidence. Other political players seem to have either different stance on this question or some other reasons why they don’t want to sign this statemen,t” Ulad Vialichka supposed.