Maltese MEP denied visa for Belarus

Labour MEP Joseph Muscat together with other MEPs forming part of a European Parliament working group were not given entry visas by the Belarusian government in order to take part in a conference in Minsk.

Bodgan Klich, a Polish MEP and chairman of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Belarus, deplored the decision by the authorities in Belarus. He said a working group from his delegation, headed by Mr Muscat, was mandated by the European Parliament to take part in the Minsk Forum IX, an annual internationally-recognised conference on Belarus. He said that this would have been the first opportunity for the delegation to visit Belarus since 2002 and its first-hand experiences and observations in Minsk would have provided the European Parliament with valuable insights for further shaping its position regarding Belarus.

Mr Klich said that "it is very disappointing that the government of Belarus has once again chosen to further embark on the road of self-isolation, despite the declaration of Byelorussian Ambassador Vladimir Senko in a meeting with the delegation in October that the authorities in Minsk are open to dialogue with the European Union".

Relations between the EU and Belarus are in bad shape and the EU has imposed visa restrictions on a number of Byelorussian officials in reaction to the flawed election of 2004.