Brussels, 25/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday evening 24 September, just four days from parliamentary elections in Belarus on Sunday 28 September, EU High Representative for the CFSP Javier Solana spoke on the phone with the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. This was the first direct contact between the two men since dialogue between the EU and Belarus was put on ice in 2004, diplomats in Brussels confirmed. Speaking from New York this week where he is attending the UN General Assembly, Solana reminded President Lukashenko of the position adopted by the External Relations Council on 15 September (EUROPE 9740), namely that the EU is willing to reassess its links with Minsk on condition that elections on 28 September are “pluralistic” and that they mark “real progress on the road to compliance with international and European norms”. In this case, the EU may not only decide to make existing sanctions more flexible (visa ban, freeze of assets, etc) for the main leaders of the country but also “take positive and concrete measures” leading to “progressive re-engagement” with Belarus, including the country's inclusion in the European neighbourhood policy, Solana explained to Lukashenko. This week, during an interview with AFP, the Belarusian opposition leader, Alexander Milinkevich, states that very little democratic progress has been made. Speaking of “cosmetic changes” compared to earlier ballots, he above all denounces the fact that opposition candidates are practically not represented in the electoral committees at the time of vote-counting. Answering the question on whether the EU should recognise the elections after all, Mr Milinkevich says: “The EU should tell the truth. I do not believe that these elections are free and democratic or in line with OSCE criteria. Europe cannot therefore say that they [the elections] comply with norms. But it will be important to note what improvements have been made”. He also calls on the EU to take economic measures in favour of his country. “Unless the Belarusian economy begins to modernise today, we shall be totally dependent on Russia in a few years' time”, he said. (H.B./transl.jl)