Brussels Ignorance
For anyone who still believes in “good old Europe” that could help to establish freedom and democracy in Belarus, here’s yet another typical quote.
Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht speaking today in Brussels about the OSCE preparations for the March elections in Belarus (Belgium is the OSCE chairman in 2006, and this is their level of “preparedness”):
“I’m going to Vienna together with Pierre* tomorrow** morning and we will discuss with ODIHR*** what [ensuring “free and open” elections in Belarus] exactly means in practice and how we will have to proceed to make sure that there is a chance that the elections will be fair and more open than in the past. Whether this will mean that they are truly fair and truly open, that’s something else. But of course, progress is always incremental.”
* Pierre Chevalier, a Special Envoy of the Belgian OSCE Chairmanship
** Thursday, January 12
*** OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
