Vice Speaker of the Coordination Council Evgeny Andreichyk participated in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the first time as a member of the delegation of Belarusian democratic forces. He shared his reflections on the recent session:
Over the five working days of the session, I was able not only to become familiar with the Assembly’s working procedures but also to highlight important developments currently taking place in Belarus.
During the first political group meeting of the autumn session, I delivered a briefing on the latest developments in Belarus, including the recent release of political prisoners facilitated by Washington.
“We believe that Europe should have its own channel of engagement with Minsk, similar to the one established by the United States, and that it should be coordinated with Washington. This does not mean normalising relations or placing trust in the Belarusian authorities. It is about adopting a specific and controlled approach. At the same time, it is important to emphasise that the situation regarding repression in Belarus is not improving, nor is the situation in the region as a whole. Therefore, Belarusians need support from Europe, not isolation.”
Throughout the working week, together with our delegation, I took part in political group and committee meetings, official meetings with delegations from other countries, meetings with senior PACE representatives, and various side events.
During a meeting on transnational digital repression, I highlighted the growing attempts by Belarusian security services to recruit young activists and the unprecedented pressure being exerted on them.
“Over the past year, we have witnessed unprecedented attempts to recruit activists living abroad and exert pressure on them. One relatively new tactic employed by the security services is to impersonate representatives of other countries, such as Ukraine, despite having no actual connection to them.”
Throughout all meetings and discussions, I have sought to convey one important message to our partners:
Sanctions and other measures must not lead to Belarus becoming even more isolated from Europe or increase our country’s dependence on Russia. Belarusians who have left the country also need assistance and support, particularly regarding their residence and legal status abroad.
And, of course, one of the most memorable moments of this session was the speech delivered by Maria Kalesnikava at the Council of Europe, where she stated that Belarus remains part of Europe and that Europe cannot turn its back on it.
I am glad that Belarus continues to be regularly discussed at the Council of Europe, and I am grateful to our European colleagues for their continued attention to the situation in Belarus.
