21/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - Call for a strategy to encourage human rights. Hailing the liberation - after six years - of two political prisoners on 16 February, Sapardourdy Khajev and Annakourban Amanklytchev, the European Parliament rapporteur on Turkmenistan, Norica Nicolai (ALDE, Romania), called on the EU on 21 February for a “strategy of proactive engagement” with Turkmenistan to encourage fundamental freedoms and the respect of human rights with a view to concluding a partnership and cooperation agreement. “The EU should take advantage of the occasion to re-assess its strategy on Turkmenistan, as elsewhere, with regard to other autocratic countries. Doing nothing will not help improve the situation of the people of Turkmenistan, nor the relationship of this country with the rest of the world”, Nicolai stated. “We must do everything in our power to accelerate the pace of reforms. Waiting with arms crossed will not bring the change that we want”, she added. Freedom House considers that Turkmenistan was one of the most repressive countries in the world in 2012 (see EUROPE 10790). (CG/transl.fl)