Two members of the election observation mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly were denied entry visas because their arrival in Belarus is unwelcome, Andrej Savinykh, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, explained.
“These two persons are foreigners whose entry into the territory of the Republic of Belarus is viewed as unwelcome,” Mr. Savinykh said.
This decision “has nothing to do with election observation,” he stressed. “We aim to maintain constructive cooperation with the OSCE mission,” he said. “The Belarusian side reaffirms that everything necessary will be done for the elections to be held openly and in full accordance with national regulations.”
“I am disappointed to hear that two members of our delegation were not allowed to enter Belarus to observe the upcoming parliamentary elections,” Matteo Mecacci, head of the OSCE PA`s observation mission, said in a statement after learning that Emanuelis Zingeris of Lithuania and Marieluise Beck of Germany had been told that the Belarusian foreign ministry would deny them entry visas.
“I hope to receive an exhaustive explanation on this issue from the authorities to make sure that the atmosphere for the upcoming Election Observation Mission will remain calm and so that our work can continue without restrictions or limitations, as stated in our invitation to observe the elections,” Mr. Mecacci said.
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