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European Parliament says that it does not recognize Belarus' new legislature

 

The European Parliament said in a resolution adopted on Friday that it did not recognize Belarus' newly elected legislature.

The resolution said that the Belarusian legislature lacked democratic legitimacy, Russia's news agency RIA Novosti reported with reference to the European Parliament's press office.

The European Parliament reportedly called for support for Belarusian civil society and opposition groups and easier visa rules.

According to the resolution, the Belarusian authorities have driven the country into an even deeper isolation by ignoring calls from the international community. It referred to the absence of opposition representatives in the Belarusian legislature and the existence of political prisoners in the country.

Andrey Savinykh, spokesman for the Belarusian foreign ministry, said that the resolution was "far away from reality" and described the European Parliament as a "high-speed typewriter" that "churns out ready-made politically motivated resolutions."

According to Mr. Savinykh, the resolution "leads into a dead-end. //BelaPAN