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European Commission deputy head arrives in Minsk

Hugues Mingarelli, deputy director general for external relations at the European Commission, arrived in Minsk on Friday on a two-day visit.

His Friday program includes meetings with Foreign Minister Syarhey Martynaw, members of civil society and the OSCE`s election observation mission.

"We invited to the meeting representatives of all political parties that are running in the elections, members of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Belarusian Association of Journalists, as well as three newly-freed political prisoners," a source at the European Commission`s Delegation to Minsk told BelaPAN.

The visit comes shortly after the release of the "last political prisoners," which the European Union considers to be a very significant step by the Belarusian authorities, the source said. "A discussion is taking place about how the EU should respond to the step. Certainly, we will follow elections which will be held in a few weeks and on which much will depend. But Mr. Mingarelli arrived to familiarize himself with the situation in the country, the opinion of the authorities and civil society to see what both the authorities and civil society are expecting from the EU."