Poland’s govt spokesman: ‘New formula’ for Belsat TV


Rafał Bochenek, Spokesman for the Polish government, has commented on Thursday’s meeting of Prime Minister Beata Szydło and Belsat TV Director Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy.

“In the coming month, there will be no changes with respect to the TV channel” Belsat. During this time, a new compromise formula of the TV station’s further work will be developed,” the top official said.

According to Rafał Bochenek, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski ‘was never going to liquidate the TV channel’.

“Prime Minister is confident that given good will of each party, we will be able to create conditions for [existing of] the TV station which will be acceptable to all; the interests of Belsat TV viewers will be taken into account,” the spokesman stressed.

“I believe that you will share my joy over the news I want to spread: Prime Minister has assured me that there is no threat to Belsat TV. Over the next month the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Belsat TV will be establishing further principles of cooperation,” Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy said after Thursday’s meeting with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło.

In mid-December, Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy told portal Wpolityce.pl with reference to unofficial information that the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs intended to reduce financing Belsat TV by 2/3 and stop its broadcast in the Belarusian language. On a practical level, such changes would mean the closure of Belsat, the only independent Belarusian-language TV channel, which has become a permanent support of public opinion and national identity of Belarusians.

On December 18, Witold Wazczykowski voiced the ministry’s plans of Belsat TV transition to a web mode and its journalists’ transfer to TVP Polonia.

Opposition leaders fined for picket in support of Belsat TV:

belsat.eu, following РАР

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