Tasr | 10.12.2006 | rubrika: fpo | strana: 0

Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Kubis, at a meeting with Belarus opposition leader Alexander Milinkievic in Bratislava on Sunday, expressed support for the democratic forces in Belarus. At the same time, Kubis declared that Slovakia will further this  co-operation in close co-ordination with the Belarus civic society and the NGO sector in Slovakia. "Kubis emphasised the interest of Slovakia and of EU in all-round development of relations with Belarus, which is, however, conditioned by democratisation of life in Belarus," foreign ministry spokesperson Jan Skoda told SLOVAKIA. During their talks, Kubis and Milinkievic also discussed the internal political situation in Belarus in relation to the observance of human rights and the status of democratic forces in the country.

Milinkievic is on a visit to Bratislava with his wife Ina Kulei at the invitation of the Slovak Pontis Foundation. He is about to be awarded the Sakharov prize (human rights) from the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Monday. Milinkievic was the joint candidate of the United Democratic Forces for the post of president on March 19 in Belarus. These elections were described by the EU, USA, European Council as well as the Organisation for Security for Co-operation in Europe as undemocratic and manipulated and they refused to approve their validity. All three Slovak opposition party leaders (Mikulas Dzurinda - SDKU-DS, Pavol Hrusovsky - KDH, and Bela Bugar - SMK) also expressed their support for democracy movement in Belarus.