Opinions & Interviews

"We are fully open to dialogue, and are ready to clarify all the issues and positions," Mikhail Myasnikovich said after welcoming the delegation. He expressed the hope that the conversation would be constructive.

The delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is led by Reha Denemec. When addressing the Turkish MP, the Speaker noted: "Mr. Rigoni is our longtime friend. We have continuously cooperated with him. I think that his recent reports will help the delegation get familiar quickly with the modern civil society in Belarus.”

Mr Reha Denemec, for his part, thanked the Chairman of the Council of the Republic for his willingness to meet with the delegation. "Belarus is a unique country in the positive sense of the word. In this connection, we would like to get more information about it," he said.

The pre-electoral delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) visiting the Republic of Belarus is led by Reha Denemec and includes PACE rapporteur on the situation in Belarus Andrea Rigoni (Italy), Jonas Gunnarsson (Sweden), Andrej Hunko (Germany), and Sonia Sirtori Milner, the Head of the Office of the PACE Secretary General.

In early July PACE appointed observers to the presidential elections in Belarus. Then it was tentatively agreed that the mission would be composed of 27 politicians from five parties, including their deputies. PACE rapporteur on Belarus Andrea Rigoni made the team of observers. The observers represent different countries: Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, Italy, Austria, Spain, Turkey, Armenia, France, Germany, the UK and other countries.