Belarusian Foreign Ministry sees positive changes in relations with EU, U.S.
MINSK. Feb 12 (Interfax) - The Belarusian Foreign Ministry sees certain positive changes in its relations with the European Union and the United States and the fact that Russia remains Belarus's principal trade partner among achievements of the country's foreign policy in 2013.
"Certain positive changes have taken shape toward normalizing and developing relations with the European Union, which is objectively treated as a priority foreign economic and political partner of Belarus," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a review of the country's foreign policy outcomes in 2013 published on Wednesday.
The Foreign Ministry claimed that Belarus's contacts with European Union institutions and the foreign ministries of the EU member-states have become significantly more active.
"Negotiations on concluding visa facilitation and readmission agreements will be an important component of Belarus's interaction with the EU in 2014. Efforts toward eliminating problematic issues in Belarusian-European relations will be continued," it said.
The ministry also praised certain positive changes in the country's relations with the U.S. in 2013. "Successful implementation of certain projects and initiatives by the parties gives ground to say that there are the first harbingers of a warmer atmosphere in bilateral cooperation," the review says.
Trade between Belarus and the U.S. topped $500 million in 2013, and the ministry also views bilateral cooperation in the healthcare, sports, and humanitarian sectors and interaction between Belarusian and U.S. law enforcement agencies as efficient.
The Russian Federation has remained Belarus's principal trade partner, the review says. "Trade turnover nearly reached $39.7 billion in 2013. Russia accounted for 49.5% of the entire amount of Belarus's foreign trade. Belarus is also among Russia's six largest trade partners," it said.
"The Belarus-Russia Union project continued to act as the locomotive of interstate integration in the CIS area," it said.
The review presents brief and comprehensive analysis of key outcomes of 2013 and the Foreign Ministry's work in the principal areas of Belarus's foreign policy. It covers a broad range of countries and regions with which Belarus cooperates and a variety of issues the Foreign Ministry addressed last year.
The Foreign Ministry plans to publish such open reviews annually, it said.
