Deputy Prime Minister of Britain: Europe is running out of patience

An exclusive interview with the Deputy Prime Minister of Great Britain Nick Clegg by European Radio for Belarus.

Euroradio: Welcome to the studio of the European Radio for Belarus. The first question is about the Eastern Partnership summit that is taking place today. Belarus Foreign Minister Martynau was invited but he didn’t come. Will Europe continue to try to engage Belarusian authorities into the dialogue while the latter are ignoring you?
Nick Clegg: Well, I think it is clear that president Lukashenka and his regime have simply no place in the modern European family of nations, and that’s why there is a very clear travel ban on president Lukashenka himself, why the number of targeted sanctions have been introduced at the members of Lukashenka’s regime, and I think this summit is an important summit because it is one of the first times when lots of European leaders and politicians like myself are coming together and saying: “Look, this can’t carry on! Enough is enough.” I don’t think we’ve been talking loudly enough about how the abuses in Belarus have continued, and if necessary, we will take further steps. On the other hand, if there is genuine reform in Belarus, and if prisoners are released, and if opposition leaders are released, and if the abuse of human rights of the Belarusian people is ended… then, of course, we stand ready to engage with Belarus. But engagement is a two-way street. Engagement requires action on both sides, and at the moment all the signs are that in Belarus the regime is going backwards, not forwards.

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