EU expects Minsk to change electoral laws, treatment of opposition

The European Parliament expects a serious liberalization of electoral laws and a better treatment of the opposition from Belarus. These expectations are linked with the fact that Belarus has become a member of EU's Eastern Partnership program. Jacek Sariusz-Wolski, the chairman of European Parliament's committee on foreign affairs, told the Interfax news agency that the European Union expects Belarus to reform its electoral laws, the Penal Code, media laws and to change the way it treats NGOs, religious groups, the civic society and the opposition.

He said the progress in EU-Belarus relations would depend on the progress in the implementation of these reforms.