After a visit in Minsk last week, the politician told BNS he met with Belarusian foreign and economic vice-ministers and Lukashenko's foreign policy adviser, as well as Western diplomats and key Belarusian opposition figures.
„During my conversation with opposition figures, representatives of the administration and diplomats, the same issue of political prisoners was in the air, it is the main obstacle, if it is not settled, any considerable progress is out of the question,“ said Paleckis, a member of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party and the EP's Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.
Asked to specify the position expressed by Belarusian authorities about political prisoners, he said there were „no promises.“
In his opinion, progress in the EU-Belarusian relations can be expected after Lithuania takes over EU presidency in the second half of this year.
„The impression is that there was a minor improvement in the EU-Belarusian relations before my trip to Belarus, the improvement can hardly be described as improvement, it was more of a positive step in the direction. I am a bit more optimistic after visiting Minsk. It seems to me that there are possibilities to move forward, especially when Lithuania holds EU presidency in the second half of this year,“ Paleckis told BNS.
