MP: Belarus determined to seek special guest status in PACE

Belarus is determined to seek its special guest status in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) back, Nikolai Samoseiko, the chairman of the permanent commission for international affairs of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, told media following the meeting of the PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy:

“We are well aware of the fact that according to PACE Resolution of 23 June 2009 the Republic of Belarus can get its special guest status back only if it introduces moratorium on capital punishment. We are determined to return our special guest status, with our position and our values staying put”.

In his words, the Belarusian legislation envisages temporality of capital punishment. The MP did not comment on when Belarus may introduce moratorium on the exceptional measure of punishment. Nikolai Samoseiko stressed that the relevant group works in the parliament.