The Chairman suggested working out a roadmap for further co-operation. He considered that it would be advisable to invite Belarusian MPs for the PACE session and added that Andrea Rigoni could initiate such an invitation for the April session of the assembly. “Perhaps, when discussing various issues, European MPs would be interested in the opinion of the Belarusian representatives on such issues as human trafficking, the abuse of women and the protection of children because these are topical issues on the European agenda today. Moreover, in our opinion, the relations of PACE with the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly are important.”
Mr. Myasnikovich noted that the work of the Council of the Europe’s information centre in Minsk is increasingly vibrant, but commented that there are still development opportunities and it is important to continue to move forward.
Meanwhile, the interaction between the congress of local and regional authorities of the Council of Europe and the Belarusian council for co-operation between local authorities (under the aegis of the Council of the Republic) is also high on the agenda.
Commenting on Belarus’ joining the conventional block of the Council of Europe, previously disallowed, Chairman of the Council of the Republic Mr. Myasnikovich believes that it would be advantageous to increase efforts to harmonise the Belarusian legislation with the standards of the Council of Europe. “It has an applied rather than political value for us because it’s important to take into account the opinions of the Council of Europe when conducting internal transformations.”
