Brussels, 02/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 29 June, Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle reiterated the EU's “strong commitment to bring forward work to unilaterally facilitate the obtaining of Belarusian citizens of EU visas, in the absence of a reply by the authorities to the offer to negotiate visa facilitation and readmission agreements”. During his meeting with the leader of the opposition in Belarus, Alexander Milinkevich of the Movement of Freedom, to discuss the continued cooperation of the Belarusian civil society and opposition with the EU, Füle stressed that the “European Dialogue on Modernisation provides a new and innovative tool for the EU and the opposition and civil society to discuss the vision of a modern Belarus and prospects of possible EU support”.
The two men also discussed the situation in the country, the continued existence of political prisoners, the poor treatment believed to be meted out to them, the increase in the powers of the KGB and the harassment of representatives of the opposition and civil society, with general elections scheduled for 23 September. (CG/transl.fl)