Launch of the Interparliamentary Assembly Euronest in an incomplete format is incompatible with the principles, adopted at the Summit of the "Eastern Partnership" in Prague in 2009, and completely undermines the democratic legitimacy of this association. Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus Andrei Savinykh said on May 6.
«We have to admit that a group of politicians in the European Parliament has imposed the worst scenario for the start of the Parliamentary Assembly of the «Eastern Partnership,» Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
According to Andrei Savinykh, Belarus does not consider itself obliged to follow Euronest approaches and solutions in this format. In addition, the Foreign Ministry believes that the negative consequences of the decision to establish a European Interparliamentary Assembly without the participation of the Belarusian delegation go «beyond the parliamentary dimension and cause substantial damage for «Eastern Partnership» as a whole, «its balance, value, performance and prospects.»
«Eastern Partnership» will lose its relevance and meaning in case of conversion to discriminating, amorphous and sluggish process with emasculated content,» convinced the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.
As Telegraf previously reported, the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Euronest was established on May 3, 2011. Boris Tarasyuk from «Eastern Partnership» (Ukraine) and Christian Vigenin from the European Parliament became co-presidents. Constituent meeting took place in Brussels with the participation of delegations of all member-countries of Euronest but for Belarus. The participants stressed in the speeches that this situation is temporary and depends on the democratic processes in Belarus.
Presidium of the Council of the Republic and the Council of the Chamber of Representatives issued a joint statement after signing the founding documents of Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. According to the statement, as the Belarusian delegation did not participate in Euronest establishment, the parliament of Belarus does not consider itself obliged to consider or take into account Euronest position.
