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MINSK, 27 January (BelTA) – The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) is interested in collaboration with the Belarusian National Bar Association, Vice-Chair of the PECO Committee (the Committee for Central and Eastern Europe) of the CCBE Rytis Jokubauskas said as he met with Belarusian lawyers on 27 January, BelTA has learned.

“We are interested in cooperation. We would be happy to establish regular contacts,” Rytis Jokubauskas said. He noted that the CCBE has 32 full members (mostly from the EU member states), and ten observer members representing the countries that make part of the Council of Europe. The CCBE invites Belarusian counterparts to attend its plenary sessions and meetings, and to work on other forms of cooperation.

Commenting on the meeting of the Belarusian lawyers with their CCBE counterparts, Chairman of the Belarusian National Bar Association Viktor Chaichits noted that the association seeks to establish contacts with all bar associations. “We believe that this will benefit all the partners. We will have a possibility to learn and adopt some useful practices that are used in other states. There are also things other countries can learn from us. For example, our law on the legal profession provides that only lawyers have the right to represent the interests of their clients in court. The CIS member states want to adopt this practice,” Viktor Chaichits said. The law has also aroused interest in the CCBE.

Besides, Belarusian lawyers can share their expertise and knowledge in holding free legal consultations for certain groups of people. These consultations are regularly held in all the regions of the country.