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Outgoing president of European Parliament disappointed by EU`s failure to influence situation in Belarus

The European Parliament`s outgoing president, Jerzy Buzek, has expressed disappointment that Europe’s efforts to influence the situation in Belarus are not successful, reported Polskie Radio.

While speaking in Warsaw on Sunday, Mr. Buzek described the inefficient efforts on the part of Europe as the most upsetting failure of his policy.

The situation in Belarus has seriously worsened over the past several years and should not be tolerated, but it is difficult to influence the Lukashenka regime, he said.

The EP president emphasized the need to support the country’s pro-democratic forces, saying that only civil society could change the situation in Belarus, BelaPAN said.

The European Union is facing a dilemma: on the one hand, it should promote respect for human rights but, on the other hand, Belarus is becoming increasingly dependent on Russia because of its economic hardships, he said.

Mr. Buzek said that the defense of human rights in Europe and outside it had always been his key priority. Human rights are the EU’s main export item, he stressed.