What is to be done so that the Belarusians could enter Schengen countries without any visa? A Belsat TV crew interviewed Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the Vilnius EaP summit.
{movie}Radosław Sikorski: ‘You should control your borders’|right|13601{/movie}
[the interview is in the Belarusian language; see the translation into English below – Belsat]
Dzmitry Hurniević: The European Commission offers visa abolition for the citizens of Moldova. Is it real to take the same step towards the Belarusians?
Radosław Sikorski: Yes, it is. Poland issues a lot of Schengen visas in Belarus. Poland launched the initiative, signed and ratified the Agreement on small border traffic with Belarus. But four conditions are to be met to abolish Schengen visas: you should control your borders and command biometrical passports and their database along with agreements on readmission.
H.: Belarus failed to become a full participant of the Eastern Partnership. What condition should Minsk fulfil to become as fully involved as, for example, Azerbaijan which is far from a democratic country, it has political prisoners…
S.: The Belarusians is a European nation. The country was invited as a full participant. But it is Belarus that takes decisions on which parts it is eager or not ready to be engaged in.
H.: Is the release of Yulia Tymoshenko still the key to sighning an association agreement? Or this demand is taking second billing?
S.: Yulia Tymoshenko called to sign this agreement, which the Ukrainians also set heart on. The European Union is ready to sign an association agreement, but unfortunately, President Yanykovych decided against it.
