Belarus calls for reviewing approaches toward Eastern Partnership implementation
MINSK. Sept 9 (Interfax) - Belarus believes it is time to review approaches toward the implementation of the Eastern Partnership project taking into account the ongoing events in Ukraine and in light of the signature of association agreements with the European Union by Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yelena Kupchina said at a plenary discussion during a meeting between the foreign ministers of the Eastern Partnership participating states in Baku.
"The head of the Belarusian delegation presented Belarusian fundamental approaches toward cooperation within the Eastern Partnership framework. She stressed the need to reconsider the initiative, taking into account the crisis in Ukraine and problematic issues that have arisen in light of the signature of association agreements with the EU by Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and importance of individual approaches toward all partner-countries bearing in mind their national interests, priorities and needs," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Kupchina insisted on prioritizing unconditional observance of the equitability principle between all Eastern Partnership participants regardless of their integration aspirations, taking steps to ensure the program's practical benefits, including through bolstering the business dimension, and intensifying interaction in the transport, trade, energy and border management sectors. The diplomat aired Belarus's practical initiatives on improving the partnership's efficiency.
The deputy foreign minister also insisted on arranging dialogue and interaction between the Belarusian-Kazakh-Russian Customs Union (the future Eurasian Economic Union) and the European Union to set up an integrated economic space from Lisbon to Vladivostok.
Kupchina had working meetings with the heads of the delegations of the partner-countries and also European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule and European External Action Service Deputy Secretary General Helga Schmid. They discussed a broad range of issues pertaining to bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including the development of relations between Belarus and the EU, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said.
Eastern Partnership is the European Union's program of cooperation with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, which has been pursued for more than five years. The program was initiated by Poland and Sweden.
Eastern Partnership was set up to expand cooperation between Eastern Europe and South Caucasus nations with the EU. Its key declared goals is the establishment of a political community and deep and comprehensive free trade areas and the annulment of visas.