There have been recent signs of a change in outlook by President Lukashenko, which include releasing Alexander Kozulin, former opposition presidential candidate, from prison and relaxing rules on foreign investment, and granting full access to OSCE observers monitoring the 28^th September parliamentary elections. However, OSCE election observation monitors stated that although the voting process was generally well conducted, the counting of votes was not. Opposition parties failed to win a single seat in the election. 

Furthermore, only last week Kristiina Ojuland, ELDR Vice-President and First Vice-President of the Estonian parliament, was denied a visa to travel to Belarus. Mrs Ojuland was given no reason for being denied access to meet with the Belarusian Party of Freedom and Progress. ELDR considers increased cooperation between the EU and Belarus is vital in order to encourage democracy building in Belarus, but considers that there needs to be considerable progress made before EU-Belarus relations can be further developed, such as within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy.