Resolution criticizing Belarus not included in final declaration of OSCE PA in Minsk


At the last meeting of the 26th summer session held on July 9, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the Minsk Declaration. The resolution on Eastern Europe, which criticizes Belarus, was excluded from it,  BelTA reports.

Initially, the resolution was proposed by the Lithuanian deputy Laurynas Kasciunas and included in the draft declaration of the Minsk declaration. It caused intense discussion among parliamentarians. The voting was divided: 43 people voted “against” and the same number voted “for”. Twenty-nine parliamentarians abstained from voting.

The representative of the Belarusian delegation Valer Varanetski called the vote on “Belarusian” declaration “political theater”.

In accordance with the regulations of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, it was decided not to include the resolution in the final declaration.

On July 8, at the Minsk session, the OSCE PA Human Rights Committee passed a resolution titled “The Situation in Eastern Europe” with criticism of the government of Belarus, Russia and Azerbaijan.

Criticism of Belarus was associated with non-transparent elections, restrictions on freedom of expression and media, pressure on journalists, arrests of protesters and the presence of political prisoners in the country.

In turn, commenting on the document, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Dzmitry Mironchyk said that the resolution on Eastern Europe “is confrontational” and “leads to further tension, deeper distrust between the member-states”.

belsat.eu, belta.by, tut.by 

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