15.01.2014
Bill on Belarusians living abroad might be passed in 2014
MINSK (BelTA) – The bill on Belarusians living abroad might be adopted in 2014, Belarus’ Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities Leonid Gulyako told a press conference on 15 January, BelTA has learnt.
“We are now working with the Culture Ministry and the Foreign Ministry on the amendments suggested by varies contributors, including the legal service of the Secretariat of the National Assembly. I think this year, maybe in the first half of the year, the bill will be passed to give answers to many questions,” the Commissioner said. He added that until the law is passed, the agency will be guided by the existing legal framework and regulatory acts. “There are no inter-ethnic issues in Belarus. Inter-ethnic matters arise only in a positive context,” Leonid Gulyako underlined.
He reminded that the concept of the document had been developed by the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities and approved by the head of state. Later the concept was used to elaborate the draft law in cooperation wit the Foreign Ministry, the Office of the Commissioner and the Culture Ministry. In November 2013 the draft law passed the first reading in the House of Representatives.
The draft law will define the term “Belarusians living abroad”. First, these are the citizens of the Republic of Belarus who permanently reside outside Belarus. These are also foreign citizens and stateless persons residing permanently outside Belarus who (or whose direct ancestors) were born or resided in the territory of the Republic of Belarus. The third category are foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing outside the Republic of Belarus and identifying themselves as Belarusians (in terms of ethnic affiliation with the Belarusian nation or language, culture, historical ties, knowledge and conservation of Belarusian traditions and customs).
Leonid Gulyako noted that in recent years the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities has initiated new forms of cooperation with Belarusian diasporas abroad. In 2012 a number of joint events were held in Vilnius. They were attended by heads of Belarusian cultural associations in Lithuania. The initiative proved a success and similar events were organized in Poland (Bialystok) and Ukraine (Lviv). “The topics discussed during these meetings had never been raised before. Why did we hold these meetings? We have haters abroad seeking to make drama over non-existing issues. We just gave an opportunity for the printed press in these countries – both state-owned and private one – to meet and talk with people,” he explained.
The Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities informed that the Office provides financial and organizational support for these events. These events opened up a new page in interstate relations with the help of representatives of various nationalities who represent a multinational Belarusian nation abroad. Over Br200 million were allocated for them in 2013 by the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities. That was budgetary funds provided to the Office to promote cooperation with Belarusian diasporas.
According to various estimates, about 3.5 million Belarusians and their descendents live outside Belarus. According to the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities, the largest diasporas live in Russia (840,000 people), Ukraine (275,000), Latvia (90,000) and Poland (48,000).
“We are now working with the Culture Ministry and the Foreign Ministry on the amendments suggested by varies contributors, including the legal service of the Secretariat of the National Assembly. I think this year, maybe in the first half of the year, the bill will be passed to give answers to many questions,” the Commissioner said. He added that until the law is passed, the agency will be guided by the existing legal framework and regulatory acts. “There are no inter-ethnic issues in Belarus. Inter-ethnic matters arise only in a positive context,” Leonid Gulyako underlined.
He reminded that the concept of the document had been developed by the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities and approved by the head of state. Later the concept was used to elaborate the draft law in cooperation wit the Foreign Ministry, the Office of the Commissioner and the Culture Ministry. In November 2013 the draft law passed the first reading in the House of Representatives.
The draft law will define the term “Belarusians living abroad”. First, these are the citizens of the Republic of Belarus who permanently reside outside Belarus. These are also foreign citizens and stateless persons residing permanently outside Belarus who (or whose direct ancestors) were born or resided in the territory of the Republic of Belarus. The third category are foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing outside the Republic of Belarus and identifying themselves as Belarusians (in terms of ethnic affiliation with the Belarusian nation or language, culture, historical ties, knowledge and conservation of Belarusian traditions and customs).
Leonid Gulyako noted that in recent years the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities has initiated new forms of cooperation with Belarusian diasporas abroad. In 2012 a number of joint events were held in Vilnius. They were attended by heads of Belarusian cultural associations in Lithuania. The initiative proved a success and similar events were organized in Poland (Bialystok) and Ukraine (Lviv). “The topics discussed during these meetings had never been raised before. Why did we hold these meetings? We have haters abroad seeking to make drama over non-existing issues. We just gave an opportunity for the printed press in these countries – both state-owned and private one – to meet and talk with people,” he explained.
The Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities informed that the Office provides financial and organizational support for these events. These events opened up a new page in interstate relations with the help of representatives of various nationalities who represent a multinational Belarusian nation abroad. Over Br200 million were allocated for them in 2013 by the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities. That was budgetary funds provided to the Office to promote cooperation with Belarusian diasporas.
According to various estimates, about 3.5 million Belarusians and their descendents live outside Belarus. According to the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities, the largest diasporas live in Russia (840,000 people), Ukraine (275,000), Latvia (90,000) and Poland (48,000).