Letter to HR Borrell regarding donor’s conference for democratic Belarus

Mr Josep Borrell Fontelles,
High Representative
Vice President of the European Commission

Dear High Representative,

The situation in Belarus remains very difficult. For three months now, the women and men of Belarus have been fighting for their fundamental rights -including their rights to freedom and democracy -whilst the regime responded with nothing but brutality and violence.

The EU must continue to support the people of Belarus in all possible ways, including through financial means. Although we welcome measures undertaken so far –such as a decision to provide additional funds of EUR 53 million –much more needs to be done in this regard.

In its Conclusions from 1 October 2020, the European Council called on the Commission to prepare a comprehensive plan of economic support for democratic Belarus, whilst this Parliament has recently urged the EU to organise a donors’ conference for a democratic Belarus. Such a conference would bring together international financial institutions, G-7 countries, EU Member States and institutions, as well as others willing to pledge a multi-billion Euro financial package. This would offer us a unique opportunity to support future reform towards democracy, the modernisation of the country’s economy and to assist the Belarusian society in these changes.

Therefore, we would like to ask whether the EEAS has started developing a concept of the donors’ conference for Belarus, and whether you have any tentative timeline concerning this valuable initiative? It would be worth drawing on the EU’s experience in this field, including informal donors’ coordination meetings on Belarus that was a platform set up in the context of the conference „Solidarity with Belarus” organised in Warsaw in 2011.

Providing the blending of financing to support the Belarusian society remains of vital importance and the EU must do everything in its power to ensure this funding brings real democratic change to Belarus.

This Parliament counts on the EU’s High Representative to take the lead on this important task.

Sincerely,