The Belarus Foreign Ministry criticized the European Parliament for passing a resolution on Belarus, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.

"Such statements call into question the European Parliament's ability to be an influential factor in the contemporary European politics. The release of just another stereotyped document devalues the role and significance of this European institution," Belarussian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ruslan Yesin said Saturday.

Noting that this is not the first resolution on Belarussian issues approved by the European Parliament, the spokesman indicated "The resolution calls for the most fruitless course thatleads to a deadlock. Belarus is willing to cooperate in an equal dialog but not under pressure."

The European Parliament on Friday issued a resolution in Strasbourg, France, demanding "immediate and unconditional releaseof all representatives of political opposition to Belarus' regime," including former Belarussian foreign economic relations ministerMikhail Marinich.

It also demanded an independent investigation into the disappearance of a number of Belarussian politicians in 1999-2000.

The European parliamentarians urged the European Union leadership to uncover and freeze bank accounts belonging to the Belarussian president and other high-ranking Belarussian officials.

Xinhua