“Dear Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to be here today and, together with Madam Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, inaugurate the work of this Contact Group.
This is indeed a unique situation. Never in the history of the Council of Europe the state was presented not by a formal government. But in our case this is only fair. Criminals should not have a vote deciding on the future of Belarus.
As we agreed before, unprecedented times call for unprecedented solutions. I welcome the decision of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to establish this Contact Group. I sincerely thank the Council of Europe, and thank you Madam Secretary General, for supporting this decision. Not only you show Belarusians your principal support and solidarity, but also you set an example for the whole world. The example of integrity and persistence in our long fight for democratic values.
This is a historical moment for many Belarusians, on whose behalf I speak. Because for years Belarusian people were not represented in the Council of Europe, for years Europe could hear only the voice of the regime, while Belarusians were forced to be quiet. But this time is gone, the time of dictators is gone. The creation of this contact group was a necessary step for two fundamental reasons.
- First, the people of Belarus see themselves as part of Europe. We share the values of European family. We honor our European history and heritage. We want to be members of the Council of Europe.
- Second, Sustainable democracy in Belarus will not be possible without strong institutions, active civil society, respect of human rights and rule of law. And there are no other bodies with such expertise and comparative knowledge then the Council of Europe. We want our country and our people to benefit from this cooperation, and to learn as much as we can for the day changes in Belarus will become possible.
Looking ahead, I see three priorities for this Contact Group.
- First, it needs to establish its modus operandi. The decision of the Committee of Ministers is clear about the central role of co-operation between the Council of Europe and the democratic forces and civil society of Belarus. Our practice already shows – even before the decision was taken – this co-operation is working.
- Secondly, the Contact Group should establish thematic priorities that link the needs of the people of Belarus with the expertise of the Council of Europe. I ask you to keep the interests of the people of Belarus in focus, and I know that they will be grateful. The brand of the Council of Europe will receive a new meaning in our country.
- Lastly, the Contact Group needs to be sustainable in its operations. My team and I will work hard, and support all efforts of the Council of Europe, to secure the resources needed for the operation of this Contact Group. We hope that the Member States who wholeheartedly voted for the idea of the Contact Group will also support its establishment and sustainable operation.
The role of this group goes beyond formulating, organizing and overseeing programs and projects for the people of Belarus.
As I said on many occasions, we want more Belarus in Europe and more Europe in Belarus. The end goal of many steps ahead of us is full membership of Belarus in the Council of Europe.
The establishment of this Contact Group is the first step in this direction”.
