Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the announcement of deeper integration between Belarus and Russia.

The UK wants to see a reformed Belarus that has a good relationship with Russia and with the West. There must be a transparent and peaceful process to allow Belarusians to determine their own future. As Belarus' closest ally, Russia is uniquely placed to exert positive pressure on the Belarusian authorities to end their campaign of repression and engage in genuinely inclusive political dialogue. We urge Russia to do so.