Friedrich Ebert Foundation to Close Office in Belarus

The Berlin-based Friedrich Ebert Foundation is to close its office in Belarus.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists quoted Stefan Chrobot, the fund's regional director for Ukraine and Belarus, as saying that the move was because of "conditions that have changed in Belarus and steps by the authorities."

He said that the closure was a "regrettable" event for the country, noting that this was the only Belarusian office of a political foundation that had put forward proposals in recent months for the development of dialogue between Germany, Europe, Ukraine and Belarus.

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation is a political non-profit organization that carries out various projects in some 100 countries. In Belarus, the foundation was working since 1997 for the declared purpose of assisting in establishing democratic civil society in the country. According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the office contributed to the organization of commemorative meetings that were held in Minsk in 2007 in honor of former German President Johannes Rau with the participation of German politicians.