Based on the results of Conference of the Belarusan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, that took place in Minsk on June 1, the participants have adopted a resolution, which full text is offered at the site.

Resolution

of the Conference of the National Platform
of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum:

“Between Eastern Partnership and European Dialogue on Modernization”

Minsk, 1 June 2013

We, participants of the Conference of the National Platform of the EEastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, having regard to the Memorandum on Cooperation within the Belarusan National Platform of the EaP CSF, sharing the values and aims of the EU initiatives Eastern Partnership and European Dialogue on Modernization with Belarusan Society:

• have to state lack of progress with human rights in Belarus. Unjustified detention of political prisoners, not abolished death penalty, limitation of freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, continuing deterioration of conditions for socio-political activities remain essential elements of Belarusan authorities’ policies;
• welcome the efforts by the EU to start new stage of dialogue with Belarus if the Belarusan authorities fulfill the major and fundamental condition — release of all political prisoners — and if there are considerable improvements with human rights;
• stress the necessity to revise a number of wordings in the draft report on Belarus by the European Parliament (Rapporteur MEP Justas Paleckis) in order to provide well- grounded and precise assessment of the socio-political situation and state of human rights in our country;
• reiterate that the policies of Belarusan authorities remain the main obstacle for the development of the EU-Belarus relations;
• express our deep concern with the risk of possible establishment of separate format of relations between the EU and the Belarusan authorities without participation of civil society and disregarding its interests;
• invite the EU for more coordination between the initiatives of Eastern Partnership and European Dialogue on Modernization with Belarusan Society taking advantage of the potential of CSOs from Belarus and EU;
• support the idea of having a civil society conference in Vilnius prior to the third Summit of the Eastern Partnership;
• express our concern with the growing pressure by the authorities on civil society representatives in Russian Federation, as well as with obvious trend to restrict even more the possibilities for action for the NGOs and civic initiatives in Azerbaijan; call our partners and colleagues from the Eastern Partnership countries to show their solidarity with civil society activists in Russia and Azerbaijan.

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