Union of Poles in Belarus in the Polish Foreign Politics During the Years 2008-2010

Abstract

Taking power in Poland by Civil Platform in 2007 was followed by a change in the Polish foreign politics toward Belarus. Donald Tusk`s cabinet decided to make official contacts with members of Belarusian government. The most difficult barrier to improving bilateral relations was division in the Union of Poles in Belarus. Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to resolve this problem in way that could be accepted by Belarusian government. In 2008 Polish diplomats took confidential conversations with their Belarusian counterparts about Polish minority. Negotiators decided to create bilateral work team, which was bound to found a resolution of conflict around the Union of Poles in Belarus. Poland declared that deepening of bilateral relations depends on improving situation of Polish national minority. In spite of the main problem of this group remained unresolved, dialogue was being continued for three years. Indeed, Poland avoided disrupting dialogue which was conducted between Belarus and European Union. Its target was to reduce Belarusian dependences on Russia. Poland finished contacts with Belarusian officials in December 2010. The reason for that were not unresolved problems of Polish minority, but instead the fraud in presidential election in Belarus and brutal suppression of the opposition protest.