DEMARCHE TO BELGIAN GOVERNMENT ON BELARUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000501 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2018 TAGS: BO PHUM PREL BE SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO BELGIAN GOVERNMENT ON BELARUS REF: STATE 30007 Classified By: POLCOUNS Lynn Gurian for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) (C) PolCouns delivered reftel demarche April 3 to Willy De Buck, MFA Director for Central and Eastern Europe. Responding to the points from reftel, De Buck said it is the EU that has the direct government contacts in Belarus and it is the Belgian position to abide by EU decisions there. The EU, he said, will decide when to open the EU Delegation office in Minsk. He agreed the release of only some political prisoners is not sufficient to end sanctions; it is important, he said, to stick to the original approach, the 12 conditions, for removing sanctions. De Buck added he regularly receives the Belarus Ambassador to Belgium and said he also meets with individuals from Belarus who request appointments. .