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Euronest may be launched without Belarus' participation

The European Parliament and five countries involved in the European Union's Eastern Partnership program consider holding the founding conference for the EU-Neighborhood East Parliamentary Assembly (Euronest) without Belarus' representatives, a source with the European Parliament told BelaPAN.

The European Parliament's delegation to Euronest, the heads of the Parliament's delegations for relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and the heads of the countries' delegations to Euronest met in Brussels last week to discuss the matter.

The establishment of the Assembly has hit a snag because of differences over the composition of Belarus' delegation, prompting the European Parliament and the five other Eastern Partnership countries to consider launching Euronest without Belarus at a conference this October or November.

The possibility is expected to be discussed by the heads of the European Parliament's political groups and by officials in the five Eastern Partnership countries.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament may write to Minsk, suggesting that Belarus' delegation to Euronest should consist of five opposition representatives and five members of the legislature.

It was earlier proposed that Euronest should consist of 60 members of the European Parliament and a 10-member delegation from each of the six Eastern Partnership states.

Many European politicians have suggested that opposition forces should necessarily be represented in the Belarusian delegation to the Assembly.

Minsk has insisted that the delegation should include only members of the National Assembly, which is not recognized as a legitimate parliament by the international community.