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Leaders of opposition coalition meet with Polish foreign minister in Warsaw

The leaders of a recently established opposition coalition met with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Deputy Foreign Minister Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz in Warsaw on September 9, BelaPAN said.

The meeting was attended by Uladzimir Nyaklyayew, leader of the "Tell the Truth!" movement; Alyaksey Yanukevich, chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front; Alyaksandr Milinkevich, leader of the Movement for Freedom; and Iryna Veshtard, head of the Hramada Belarusian Social Democratic Party. Earlier this year, the organizations reached an agreement on long-term strategic partnership. The coalition announced plans to push for what it calls a "people's referendum."

"We discussed what Poland's and the European Union's further policy toward Belarus can be," Mr. Nyaklyayew told BelaPAN. According to him, the matter will be discussed at an Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius this November. "Both sides understand that it is Ukraine and Moldova that will top the agenda in the Lithuanian capital. However, the Polish foreign ministry's leaders promised that the Belarusian issue would not be skirted," said the former presidential candidate.

Under discussion also was the possible level of Belarus' representation at the summit, according to Mr. Nyaklyayew. "If the authorities release the political prisoners, an official delegation from Minsk will receive an invitation, it can be headed by any person. If the current situation persists, inviting government officials [to the event] is out of the question," he said.

Asked whether the recent establishment of two new opposition coalitions could be evidence of a new rift in the opposition camp, the Belarusian politicians stressed that there were no major differences between the alliances. "I suggested that Sikorski invite [United Civic Party leader] Anatol Lyabedzka and Syarhey Kalyakin [chairman of the Spravedlivy Mir (Just World) Belarusian Party of the Left]. The minister appeared to be agreeably surprised," Mr. Nyaklyayew said.

Until the EU signs an association agreement with Ukraine and Moldova, the situation in Belarus will not be high on the 28-nation bloc's agenda, Mr. Nyaklyayew acknowledged. However, he added, the EU and Poland share an opinion that Belarus' involvement in European projects and its accession to the EU are key to the bloc's further development.