22.05.2013
Foreign Ministry: Religious freedom is respected and protected in Belarus
MINSK, 22 May (BelTA) – Belarus unfailingly honors its commitments to protect the freedom of faith, deputy head of the information department of Belarus’ Foreign Ministry Maria Vanshina told BelTA commenting on the International Religious Freedom Report published by the United States Department of State.
“We know that the US Department of State issued another annual report on religious freedom around the world. This report is of little interest to Belarus, because it is an internal document of the Department of State submitted to the Congress,” Maria Vanshina said.
“The Republic of Belarus strictly abides by its international and domestic commitments to protect the freedom of faith without a backward glance on such reports. One of the examples is Belarus’ report on the fulfillment of provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination where Belarus describes the real state of things in the field of protection of religious rights and freedoms. In this report Belarus named specific measures the government takes to promote religious freedom,” the Foreign Ministry representative said.
“As for the report of the Department of State, it abounds in trite cliches and abstract and overused stereotypes that report developers rewrite every year without bothering to check what the reality is,” Maria Vanshina said.
The International Religious Freedom Report published by the US Department of State was presented by Secretary of State John Kerry on 20 May. The report criticized the Belarusian authorities for allegedly restricting the freedom of faith.
“We know that the US Department of State issued another annual report on religious freedom around the world. This report is of little interest to Belarus, because it is an internal document of the Department of State submitted to the Congress,” Maria Vanshina said.
“The Republic of Belarus strictly abides by its international and domestic commitments to protect the freedom of faith without a backward glance on such reports. One of the examples is Belarus’ report on the fulfillment of provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination where Belarus describes the real state of things in the field of protection of religious rights and freedoms. In this report Belarus named specific measures the government takes to promote religious freedom,” the Foreign Ministry representative said.
“As for the report of the Department of State, it abounds in trite cliches and abstract and overused stereotypes that report developers rewrite every year without bothering to check what the reality is,” Maria Vanshina said.
The International Religious Freedom Report published by the US Department of State was presented by Secretary of State John Kerry on 20 May. The report criticized the Belarusian authorities for allegedly restricting the freedom of faith.