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EU expecting Minsk's steps toward democracy, human rights, German foreign minister says

The European Unions is hoping and expecting that the Belarusian government will "decisively" continue to move toward democracy and respect for human rights, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement issued on the occasion of the 11th Minsk Forum that opened in Minsk on Thursday.

September's parliamentary elections in Belarus fell short of expectations, with the Belarusian government understanding it and sending a signal that it is ready to reform electoral regulations to bring them into line with the OSCE's standards, the minister said.

He said that the Belarusians were above all expecting progress on press freedom.

The minister emphasized the need for the Minsk Forum, organized annually by the German embassy. "Exchange between states and societies is the precondition for crossing borders and achieving mutual understanding among people," he said.

Mr. Steinmeier promised that he would personally make every effort to ensure that "new opportunities for dialogue are used."

He said that he had firmly supported the resumption of political contacts with Minsk in response to its release of political dissidents despite the "controversy" of the thaw.

German Ambassador Gebhardt Weiss said in his speech at the forum that every new step toward tackling political problems would "guarantee Belarus the improvement of its image, stronger competitiveness and more stable future."

"The point is not about the investment climate, easier tax and customs systems or fight against corruption but rather about political predictability accompanied by sustainable conditions and respect for fundamental values by which 500 million people of our continent are guided in their own and collective self-realization," the ambassador said.

"Each step backward can have negative effects on the interests and future of the country," he said.

Mr. Weiss said that the previous forum was taking place against the backdrop of the successful economic development of Belarus but well-known political problems, while this one was taking place amid fewer political problems but serious challenges facing the country's economy. //BelaPAN