Belarusian-Dutch relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Kingdom of the Netherlands . Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Belarus has embassies and consulates in The Hague . The Netherlands is represented in Belarus through its embassy in Warsaw ( Poland ) and through the consulate in Minsk . Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe . March 24, 2012 marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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In September 2009, within the framework of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly in New York , the first meeting of the foreign affairs agencies of Belarus and the Netherlands took place in the history of bilateral relations. At the request of the Netherlands, the European Union decided in October 2008 to ease visa restrictions for Belarusian citizens, but some other restrictions remained, such as frozen Belarusian financial assets [1] . Also, the Dutch government opposes the normalization of relations between Belarus and the European Union [2] .
The Dutch opposed the invitation of President Lukashenko to attend the summit in May 2009 in Vienna, where the Eastern Partnership program was to be launched; [3] ; most of all this idea was opposed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Maxim Verhagen according to which “Lukashenko is not the person to whom you can extend a hand” [4] .
There are no direct intergovernmental contacts so far, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that there are no “intensive cultural ties” between the two countries, yet relations between the two countries exist at different levels.
Content
Help for Belarusian children
For example, over the years, children who suffer from the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster have been on holiday abroad, about 1,500–2,000 of whom visited the Netherlands annually. In 2008, Belarus refused to give a visa for children after a 16-year-old Belarusian girl applied for asylum in the United States [5] . Belarus also stated that some children did not return from holidays in the United States and Italy . The organization responsible for the residence of these children in the Netherlands put pressure on the Belarusian embassy in The Hague to reopen the borders [6] . After several months of negotiations between the two countries at Christmas 2008, an announcement was made that a group of children were allowed to spend Christmas in the Netherlands, and the travel ban was postponed until January 20, 2009 [7] .
After the signing of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on conditions for the recovery of minor citizens of the Republic of Belarus in April 2009, programs for the rehabilitation of Belarusian children in the Netherlands resumed. Only in 2012, 1050 Belarusian children took part in them.
Belarus reaction to the presidential elections of 2006
Events related to the Belarusian presidential elections of 2006 , which were widely criticized by European countries and the United States, added tension in the already complex relations between the countries. Several Dutch politicians who were supposed to observe the elections, but whose visas were canceled, protested at the border of Belarus [8] .
The consequences of the elections led to the arrest of many Belarusian students, and some of them lost their passports. One political party’s request to the Dutch government to ease the passport requirement for such students was denied by the Netherlands’s integration and immigration minister Rita Verdonk , although she promised to exert political pressure on the government of Belarus if she refuses to allow those students to go abroad [9] . The Netherlands made an attempt to put pressure on the Belarusian government, for example, the Foreign Minister persuaded the European Union to boycott the planned Interpol conference in Minsk [10] . A group of people in the Netherlands, meanwhile, protested against what they called “the lack of political and religious freedom in Belarus”. [eleven]
Notes
- ↑ Opheffen van het reisverbod voor Wit-Russische functionarissen (not available link) . Han ten Broeke, VVD (October 15, 2008). The appeal date is April 16, 2009. Archived July 24, 2011.
- ↑ Spanje wil normale betrekkingen met Wit-Rusland . NRC Handelsblad (March 31, 2009). The appeal date is April 16, 2009. Archived April 1, 2009.
- With foreign foreign не не Charter 97 (March 27, 2009). The appeal date is April 16, 2009. Archived March 31, 2009.
- ↑ Wielaard, Robert . Dutch remain opposed to the EU meeting Belarus leader , Boston Globe (March 29, 2009). The appeal date is April 16, 2009.
- ↑ Kester, Sacha . Kinderen Wit-Rusland mogen niet meer reizen (nid.) , Volkskrant (October 17, 2008). The appeal date is April 17, 2009.
- ↑ Fraanje, Wybe . De kinderen van Tsjernobyl mogen niet meer op vakantie (Nid.) , Friesch Dagblad (August 16, 2008). The appeal date is April 16, 2009.
- ↑ Laverman, Violent . Kerst met kinderen uit Tsjernobyl ( inc .) , Volkskrant (December 27, 2008). The appeal date is April 17, 2009.
- ↑ European Politicians Protest At Belarus Border , Radio Free Europe (March 19, 2006). Archived April 18, 2009. The appeal date is April 16, 2009.
- ↑ Verdonk maakt geen uitzondering voor Wit-Russen . Nieuws.nl (April 18, 2006). The appeal date is April 16, 2009. Archived July 20, 2011.
- ↑ EU boycot conferentie Interpol in Wit-Rusland (nid.) , NRC Handelsblad (May 11, 2006). Released on April 16, 2009. (not available link)
- ↑ March 25th at Belarussian Embassy in The Hague (not available link) . PerspectieF (March 25, 2009). The appeal date is April 16, 2009. Archived March 3, 2016.
See also
- Foreign policy of Belarus
- Netherlands foreign policy