fbpx
European Western Balkans
Politics

WB countries align themselves with EU Declaration on the developments in Belarus

BRUSSELS – North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina have aligned themselves with the Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union Josep Borrell on the elections in Belarus and its aftermath.

The Declaration, released earlier this month, states that the elections on 9 August were neither free nor fair and did not meet the international standards expected of an OSCE participating State.

“State authorities deployed disproportionate and unacceptable violence causing at least one death and many injuries. Thousands of people were detained and the crackdown on freedoms of assembly, media and expression intensified”, the Declaration reads.

Serbia is notable for having aligned itself with only 48% of EU declarations in the first half of 2020, according to ISAC Fund. Its overall alignment percentage has been decreasing for several years. Other countries in the region are much more aligned with EU’s foreign policy, some of them without exceptions.

The EU Members and aligned countries called on the Belarusian authorities to release immediately and unconditionally all detained.

They also called on Belarusian political leadership to initiate a genuine and inclusive dialogue with broader society to avoid further violence.

“The EU will continue to support a democratic, independent, sovereign, prosperous and stable Belarus”, the document concludes.

Related posts

Council conclusions call for moving accession of Albania and North Macedonia forward “as soon as possible”

EWB

Blok: Netherlands ready to assist rule of law reforms in Albania and North Macedonia

EWB

EC Vice-President Šefčovič says Western Balkans will get vaccines

EWB