Schneider: Political prisoners' release for admitting guilt is unacceptable

Euroradio: Does Europe conduct any negotiations with Belarus with regard to political prisoners' release? Maybe, secret ones?

Jiří Schneider: If there are secret negotiations, I cannot provide you any information, naturally... However, we clearly stated that we expect release of all political prisoners. This is the first condition before start of any dialogue in all other spheres - political, economical, some else... I consider the practice when people are released only after they admit guilt totally unacceptable.

Euroradio: This is not the first time in the history of Belarus-EU relations when we go through the following stage: people get to prison due to political reasons, then the European Union makes statements, political prisoners are released, and the EU goes for dialogue. Then people get to prisons again, and everything is repeated... Isn't Europe afraid of making the same old mistakes? Maybe, something will change in Brussel's policy towards Minsk this time?

Jiří Schneider: Trust me, none of us likes this "cat and mouse" game with the Belarusian regime. However, there is a paradox in the relations between the EU and Belarus: we do not want to isolate Belarus as Belarus is a European country and EU's neighbour, and we want to keep the door open for your country. However, what can we do if this door is constantly closed from the Belarusian side?

Euroradio: How will the relations between the EU and Belarus be built after all political prisoners are released? It is enough to start a dialogue or do you expect some other steps?

Jiří Schneider: The release has become the turning point since which a certain dialogue may start, but I would not call it a full-fledged one. The dialogue depends on many other factors, and political prisoners is the most obvious and, probably, the most painful point in our relations. Therefore, our interior criteria will be involved in the dialogue, they will let us analyze how fully it develops. I would like to warn against the "black and white" perception of the dialogue with Belarus as something static which either exists or doesn't exist. This is a process, and being a process it has different stages.

Euroradio: Is it already known who will be invited from Belarus to the summit of the "Eastern Partnership", which is to take place in Warsaw on September 29-30?

Jiří Schneider: Naturally, invitation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka is out of the question. We are speaking about an invitation of some representative of the Belarusian government. Frankly speaking, the summit is always a meeting of state leaders, therefore, we can imagine an empty chair at it. From the other side, the policy of the "Eastern Partnership" is a policy of including all sides. So, there are arguments both for and against participation of Belarus.

Euroradio: Who could that be?

Jiří Schneider: We discuss the opportunity to invite a Foreign Minister from Belarus.

Euroradio: At which level will the Belarusian issue be raised at the summit? Will Belarus be mentioned separately in the final declaration?

Jiří Schneider: The question is, the declaration should be signed not only by the EU countries but also all countries of the "Eastern Partnership" (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus - remark of Euroradio). Naturally, the European Union would like to include a separate claim on Belarus in the declaration, as Belarus is undoubtedly an isolated example among the "Eastern Partnership" countries.