Roundtable on Religious Freedom in Europe and Eurasia Points to Progress and Continuing Concerns in the Region

The Roundtable was co-chaired by A. Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs; John V. Hanford III, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom; and Representative Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), ranking member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.  The session was held through arrangement with the office of Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR).

Participants highlighted partnership between government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multilateral organizations.  Panelists discussed problems in Uzbekistan related to religious expression and registration of religious groups, and praised some recent improvements in Turkmenistan, while noting that the environment still is challenging for many groups.  The situation in both these countries is being closely monitored.

No countries in the Europe-Eurasia region are now listed as “countries of particular concern” in the Department’s International Religious Freedom Report and conditions in Western and Central Europe are generally better for religious practice.  Nonetheless, restrictive registration rules in some countries still keep some smaller groups from enjoying all the benefits enjoyed by the mainstream faiths.  The Balkans and the Caucasus also merit attention.  Most attendees agreed freedom of religion has improved in Russia; however, recent Russian clampdowns on media and certain NGOs are cause for concern that human rights and freedoms in general are becoming more and more restricted.  Increased anti-Semitism in some European nations remains a cause of concern.  Governments have responded well in terms of public statements and increased security, and the U.S., through bilateral discussions and within the context of multilateral organizations such as the OSCE, is urging governments to do more in the areas of education and prevention.

The U.S. intervenes publicly and privately with other governments both on the general state of religious freedom and on specific instances of repression, using a combination of bilateral discussions and multilateral fora.  The U.S. does more than urge governments to live up to international commitments; through public diplomacy and small grants programs, the U.S. seeks to foster broader regional understanding of the importance of religious freedom.