Council of Europe to set up group for contacts with Belarusian opposition – Cichanoŭskaja

September 8, BPN. “I am pleased that the Council of Europe decided to adopt my proposal for establishing a contact group for cooperation with the Belarusian democratic forces and civil society,” Belarusian opposition leader Sviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has tweeted.

She described the move as an “another important step towards returning Belarusians to the international arena.”

Cichanoŭskaja noted that the new platform at the Council of Europe will help raise issues of Belarusian independence, political prisoners, and the rule of law. Creation of the contact group is the first step towards accession of Belarus to the Council of Europe, she added.

According to the politician, the contact group “will help the Council of Europe to develop positions on Belarus,” coordinate and implement projects within the various programs of the Council of Europe to prepare for reforms and democratic changes in Belarus.

The Council of Europe is an international organization founded in 1949 and focusing on cooperation between the European states in the field of human and civil rights and freedoms, democratic development, rule of law and culture.

Belarus was not admitted to the Council of Europe because it continues to use the death penalty. However, Minsk and the Council of Europe used to cooperate on various issues, before the latter broke off all contacts with the Belarusian authorities in March 2022 over Alaksandr Łukašenka’s support of Russia’s war against Ukraine.