At a meeting with Belarusian opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in Vienna on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg stressed the importance of dialogue with all sides[VB1] , and noted that the Vienna-based Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was an ideal forum for this dialogue.
The cornerstones of Austria’s commitment to Belarus are support for civil society and its conviction that those responsible for human rights abuses must be held accountable for their actions. As the Foreign Minister explained:
From our point of view, there are two key issues. We support all Belarusians fighting for their rights in their homeland, and we are committed to ending impunity for those involved in human rights abuses.
Austria plays an active role in these areas and works closely with NGOs, including as part of a joint project with constitutional reform experts from the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission. Plans are also being made for an “artists-in-residence” programme that will give young Belarusian artists the opportunity to spend time in Vienna. The close contact and lively exchanges between Austrian civil society figures and their Belarussian counterparts show that Austria is not turning a blind eye to developments in Belarus.
Austria is also working hard to find solutions to the current situation at an EU level, something the Foreign Minister was keen to emphasise:
Austria remains committed. We will discuss the issue again at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council,
he said.
Combating continuing human rights abuses in Belarus and bringing those involved in them to justice is another major concern for the Austrian government. Austria continues to raise this issue in multilateral fora, including the UN Human Rights Council. Foreign Minister Schallenberg warned that
those involved in human rights abuses should be aware that, sooner or later, they will be brought to account.
He also thanked Svetlana Tikhanovskaya for her unwavering effort, and assured her that Austria would remain a strong partner for the Belarussian people.
