German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said after his recent visit to Minsk that Europe assesses the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko not by his words but by deeds. According to the German Minister the election campaign in Belarus will be closely followed by the international observers to hold the elections under international democratic standards.
German foreign minister noted that his recent visit to Belarus in cooperation with the Foreign Minister of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski was a testament to the fact that the EU seeks to develop relations with its eastern neighbors, intermedia.ru reports.
«So together we have sent a clear message to the Belarusian leadership in support of free and fair elections. The fact is that the foundation of rapprochement with Europe is the rule of law, democracy and human rights,» the German minister said.
«If President Lukashenko believes he can win at free elections, he should prove it,» Radoslaw Sikorski said in his turn.
«But we have doubts about the free nature of the upcoming elections, as well as free access of opposition to media. Only if President Lukashenko eliminates these obstacles, Belarus will be able to count on closer cooperation with Europe,» Foreign Minister of Poland.
«Europe does not end on the eastern border of Poland. We also want to make our principles of freedom, rule of law and economic prosperity more accessible to the eastern neighbors of the European Union,» Guido Westerwelle added According to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, it is important to coordinate joint efforts for this matter.
