Written question asked by Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 December 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 5 January 2010. It was answered by Chris Bryant (Labour) on Wednesday, 6 January 2010 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Belarus

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the state of relations between Belarus and the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Our interest is to see Belarus contribute to the long term stability of the region in which it is situated. We believe this would best be achieved through further political and economic reform, and to that end we seek to encourage a stronger relationship between Belarus and the EU, which would include closer alignment to European standards and values. We recognise, at the same time, that Belarus has a close co-operative relationship with the Russian Federation. In line with other EU member states, we continue to base our political relationship on the need for the respect for basic human rights and political freedoms, and regularly raise issues of concern.On the economic side, bilateral trade and investment are very small. We have welcomed Belarus's engagement with international organisations, including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank as the basis for much needed economic reform. At a human level, the UK has a memorandum of understanding in place with Belarus on respite visits for children suffering from the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and we offer a small number of scholarships each year through the Chevening Programme which allows Belarusian citizens the opportunity to study at UK higher educational institutions.

Secondary information