On Friday 3 May, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, signed a Letter of Intent as “a sign of Parliament’s strong commitment to boost cooperation with the democratic forces of Belarus”, announced the European Parliament in a press release.
In this Letter of Intent, the two parties undertake to facilitate a democratic transition in Belarus, “in particular by supporting Belarusian democratic forces and civil society activists, human rights defenders, independent media and trade unions within the framework of the EU4Belarus programme and through the expansion of educational initiatives and opportunities”.
They promise to guarantee the release of political prisoners and to monitor the internal situation in Belarus, in particular violations of the rights of journalists, human rights defenders, activists, NGO representatives and repressed individuals.
The European Parliament and Belarusian democratic forces will also help to alleviate the migration problems faced by Belarusians abroad and monitor the implementation of their rights and freedoms.
They also promise to hold accountable, within the framework of international mechanisms, those representatives of the regime and individuals responsible for human rights violations and crimes against humanity in Belarus, as well as for their involvement in military crimes against Ukraine.
According to the European Parliament, Ms Metsola and Ms Tikhanovskaya also discussed the urgent need for the democratic world to stand firmly in solidarity with the democratic forces in Belarus. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)