Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative) on Monday, 12 October 2015, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 26 October 2015. It was answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative) on Monday, 19 October 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Belarus: Foreign Relations

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of their current relationship with the government of Belarus.

Answer: The UK Government has full diplomatic relations with the Government of Belarus, and continue to work to improve them. We welcomed the release of six political prisoners on 22 August, although we continue to have concerns about the human rights situation. We have noted the preliminary statement of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the conduct of the presidential elections on 11 October, and await its final report. We hope that the Government of Belarus can take forward its dialogue with ODIHR on how to improve the conduct of future elections. We work closely with EU partners on these issues, and engage with the Belarusian authorities to press for political and economic reforms.

Secondary information