Frankfurt,10th January 2009: The photo exhibition "Belarus 09-28-2008" had its final opening on Tuesday Janurary 20th at the European-University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). The photos of three photographers and journalists, Anne Ackermann, Stephan Pramme, Jan Zappner, record personal and inspiring impressions of the Belarusian life during the parliamentary elections 2008 in Minsk, Grodno and Witebsk. The exhibition is held in the librarian gallery of the University and will be open to visitors until February 27th 2009.

A public discussion round on “Belarus and the new policy of the EU – Chances and risks for the civic society” organized by the European Exchange in cooperation with the chair of Eastern Europe’s history, took place right before the opening of the exhibition. Two guests, Anna Kanius, a Belarusian democratic movement activist and coordinator of long-term monitoring in the area of Brest in the elections of 2008 as well as Peter Liesegang, board member of the German- Belarusian association and an international long-term observer exchanged their observation experiences during the parliamentary campaign and discussed current possibilities and effects on the civic society by the European Unions policies towards Belarus. Adam Busuleanu from the European Exchange has moderated the discussion round. About 25 guests have joined the discussion.