(July 1, Vienna: Bruce Connuck to OSCE Permanent Council) (490)

The United States shares the European Union's concern about the
desecration of graves in an historic Jewish cemetery in Belarus and
joins the EU in calling on Belarusian authorities "to suspend all work
at the site in question, until the government reaches an agreement
with all concerned representatives of the Jewish community," American
diplomat Bruce Connuck told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna July
1.

Connuck, acting deputy chief of the U.S. mission to the OSCE, also
expressed concern for the state of media freedom in Belarus and called
on the government of Belarus to draft a new media law and to present
it to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and to the
Council of Europe for comment prior to its adoption by the Belarusian
Parliament

"By bringing its legislation on the media into compliance with its
international commitments, the Government of Belarus can ensure that
its laws no longer provide a pretext for abuse of the independent
media in Belarus," he said.

Following is a transcript of Connuck's remarks:

(begin transcript)

U.S. Mission to the OSCE 
Vienna
July 1, 2003

STATEMENT ON BELARUS

Delivered by Acting Deputy Representative Bruce Connuck to the
Permanent Council

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, the United States shares the concern expressed by the
European Union about the desecration of graves in an historic Jewish
cemetery in Belarus. We understand discussions between Jewish leaders
and Belarusian officials have taken place. We join the EU in calling
upon Belarusian authorities to suspend all work at the site in
question, until the government reaches an agreement with all concerned
representatives of the Jewish community, including local residents.

Mr. Chairman, on a separate issue relating to Belarus, we would like
to call attention to the Minsk Office's Spot Report of June 23,
reporting on an exchange between the Head of Office and the Minister
of Information, Mr. Podgainy, about media freedom in Belarus. As
members of this Permanent Council are well aware, concerns about the
state of media freedom in Belarus have been raised here on several
occasions in recent weeks. In response, Belarus has maintained that
its authorities have no choice but to comply with existing provisions
of Belarusian legislation on the media.

The introduction of a new draft media law, consistent with
international norms on media freedom, offers Belarus an opportunity to
address this problem directly. To that end, we urge Belarus to convey
the draft media law to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
and to the Council of Europe for comment prior to its adoption by
Parliament. By bringing its legislation on the media into compliance
with its international commitments, the Government of Belarus can
ensure that its laws no longer provide a pretext for abuse of the
independent media in Belarus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(end transcript)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)