15 June 2004 21:49
International organizations must not shun Belarus, says Russian senator
Moscow, 15 June: Representatives of Belarus must not be squeezed out of international organizations. The chairman of
the Federation Council's committee on international affairs, Mikhail Margelov, expressed this conviction today
during a meeting with a delegation from the British parliament. The guests asked a question about the situation
"with democratic rights" in Belarus. Stressing that the Union of Russia and Belarus is, first and foremost,
"a union of two economies", Mikhail Margelov said that "no matter how critical Europe might be of the
political system in that country, it is counterproductive to push Belarus out of international organizations". He
said "maximum involvement of Belarusian parliamentarians in European parliamentary organizations can only assist in
the democratization of that country".
Mikhail Margelov also drew the guests' attention to the fact that "the problem of Belarus should be decided
by voters, and it is the task of foreign politicians to respect their choice". Therefore, European parliamentarians
"should not make Belarusian politicians feel ostracized by European organizations", he noted.
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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