Council of Europe to cement ties with Belarusian opposition – German lawmaker

July 19, BPN. The Council of Europe is seeking closer ties with Belarusian opposition groups, a German lawmaker has said.

Frank Schwabe, who leads the German delegation to the council’s Parliamentary Assembly, said the opposition will soon have office space on the same floor as the assembly, according to a statement from the German parliament.

This is more than mere symbolism, according to Schwabe. The Council of Europe stands for human rights, rule of law and democracy, he said. Even if some governments cannot join it because they reject these values, many people in their countries feel connected to Europe, he added.

“We are now building a bridge to these people,” he said.

In September 2022, the council’s Committee of Ministers decided to form a contact group on Belarus. It includes representatives of the country’s democratic forces and civil society. The group has met three times since then and plans to meet again in October.

The council also announced a plan in February to support Belarusian civil society and democracy activists.