The West is concerned about the election situation in Belarus

By Dzianis Melyantsou

The European Union and the United States have made it clear that further normalization will depend on the course of the presidential campaign in Belarus.

On July 9^th, the situation in Belarus was discussed in the European Parliament. Most speakers were very critical of the actions of the Belarusian authorities. For example, Lithuanian MEPs Andrius Kubilius and Petras Auštrevičius have proposed to reintroduce sanctions if the Belarusian authorities continue to repress political opponents. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell emphasized that the upcoming elections would determine the development of bilateral relations between the EU and Belarus.

Although the European Parliament is not an EU body responsible for foreign policy decisions, its opinion should nevertheless be considered when developing such decisions.

On July 8^th, Viktar Babaryka’s HQs coordinator Marya Kalesnikava and lawyer Ilia Salei met with the EU Delegation head and Ambassadors of the United Kingdom and the United States. The details of the meeting were not disclosed, however, the mere fact of the meeting means that Western capitals closely follow the developments in Belarus and would condition further improvements in Belarus’ relations with the West with the degree of democracy and freedom during the presidential elections.