European Commission, Estonian foreign ministry promise support to association of young Belarusians resident abroad

The European Commission and the Estonian foreign ministry have promised support to an association of young pro-democratic Belarusians resident abroad.

The European Union’s external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, has announced this in a letter to the organizers of the Congress of the New Belarusan Diaspora of Europe and the USA that took place in the Estonian capital this past March.

Ms. Ferrero-Waldner has played up the association’s contribution to the promotion of democracy in Belarus.

Held under the auspice of the Estonian foreign ministry and an Estonian parliamentary group called For Free Belarus, the congress was attended by ethnic Belarusians residing in France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and the United States, as well as representatives of Belarusian civil society.

In an interview with BelaPAN, Yevgeny Krishtafovich, leader of Estonian NGO Open Republic, said that the country’s civil society backed efforts to unite young ethnic Belarusians resident abroad. It was Estonian NGOs that convinced the Estonian government to offer free university training to Belarusian opposition youths persecuted at home, he stressed.

“Proceeding from their own historical experience, Estonians remember well what important role was played in building a free and democratic state by our compatriots abroad who returned home after the restoration of independence,” Mr. Krishtafovich said.