The Presidential Office of Belarus has announced the establishment of a consultation council for human rights.
The chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), Aleg Hulak, told RFE/RL's Belarus Service that the administration has asked for the nongovernmental organization's assistance in creating the human rights council.
Hulak said the fact that the government has asked for the help of a human rights watchdog is a good indication that Minsk is seeking to improve its record.