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On 11-12 September, eight of the best and most active Belarusian students and two professors of the European Humanities University (EHU) visited the institutions of the European Union and non-governmental organizations based in Brussels.

The aim of the visit was to draw the attention of the European institutions to the important role of the EHU in promoting democratization of Belarus, as well as to help students and professors to improve their knowledge of the EU and the European Neighbourhood Policy.The visit was organized by Member of the European Socialist Group in the European Parliament Justas Vincas Paleckis and Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The European Humanities University is the only non-governmental Belarusian humanitarian university. It was founded in 1992 in Minsk, and in 2004 it was closed for political reasons. In 2006 the Government of Lithuania granted to the EHU the official status of a Lithuanian university in Vilnius.

The biggest sponsors of the EHU are the European Commission, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the governments of Lithuania, USA and Sweden. Owing to them, the EHU managed to resume its operation in Lithuania. The support from the European Commission and the Nordic Council of Ministers is allocated to finance the main activities of the university – bachelor and master degree programs of daily and extramural studies as well as grants. Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, Norway, Finland, Germany also render assistance to the EHU.

On 11 September, at the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU students and professors have met the members of the team of European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner as well as diplomats from Latvian, Czech, Swedish, Luxemburgish, Dutch, French, Estonian Permanent Representations to the EU, all of them covering Belarusian affairs. The guests were greeted by the Lithuanian Deputy Permanent Representative Kęstutis Jankauskas.

The EU officials were very interested to talk to Belarusian professors and students – the meeting went on for almost two hours. The Byelorussians replied to questions, related about their studies and life in Vilnius, difficult political situation in Belarus. „It was very important for us to meet EHU students alive. Now we have got a much better understanding about how the EHU‘s functioning, how important is the existence of the University“, – said the Commission‘s representatives after the meeting.

The Byelorussians have also met representatives of Brussel-based NGOs, which admired their courage and determination to study at a University although in exile, yet in a free and democratic academic atmosphere.

Olga Stuzhinskaya, Director of the Office for a Democratic Belarus, urged students and professors to promote further in Europe striving of Belarusian people for democracy, discussed with them possibilities for co-operation. In the meeting with Lien de Leenheer, Deputy Secretary General of the YouthPress section in Brussels, guests talked over their media and communication studies at EHU, student activities and possible future common projects.

Next day, Belarusian guests were greeted at the premises of the European Parliament by Justas Vincas Paleckis, Member of the European Socialist Group at the European Parliament. „Europe needs Belarus, and Belarus needs Europe. It is of utmost importance to demolish visible and invisible borders dividing Belarus from the European Union. Contacts with neighbors should be developed“, said the MP.

Socialdemocrat Miguel Angel Martinez Martinez , Vice-president of the European Parliament, while meeting the Belarusian group, underlined their perspectives. „You represent to-morrow of Belarus. You are what Belarus is in need of,” said the Vice-president.

Ministry of Foreig Affairs, www.paleckis.lt