News & Events in Belarus

RIGA, 22 May (BelTA) – Belarus has backed the declaration of the Eastern Partnership summit with a proviso, BelTA learned from Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei in Riga on 22 May.

Vladimir Makei explained that Belarus had added a special statement to the declaration. “It is a written statement that we have asked to add as an official document,” specified the official.

“We have backed [the declaration] with a condition for the sake of making the document constructive and future-oriented. You can call it a proviso. To avoid making any emotional statements is the key now. Albeit the statement may be entertaining. Building a road into the future is what matters,” said Vladimir Makei.

The Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs also stated: “Unfortunately, some of our partners believe that some loud emotional statements can help resolve the problems that require persistent, huge efforts on a daily basis. They tried to include some high-sounding statements that accuse some parties into the final declaration of the Riga summit. They tried to make it look like all the major ailments of the Eastern Partnership originate from external factors. Not at all. Not only external factors are to blame. A lot depended on the European Union, too. Before accusing someone, you’d better look at yourself.”

Vladimir Makei also pointed out that during the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius in 2013 Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych was told that Ukraine either had to sign the agreement on association with the European Union or stay “somewhere on the other side”.

This is why not only external factors have driven the Eastern Partnership to the breaking point today, said Vladimir Makei. “The fact has to be recognized… It was clearly voiced by our statement at the summit today,” said the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Eastern Partnership Initiative should be geared towards improving cooperation within the framework of the initiative, stressed the official. “The initiative should bring tangible benefits to the participating states. The initiative should help reinforce stability, safety, and tranquility in the region and on the continent as a whole,” noted Vladimir Makei.

He pointed out that the Eastern Partnership Initiative should not create new dividing lines in Europe. “The initiative should not be viewed with concern by the neighbors of the neighbors as they say in the European Union. I mean the countries that don’t border on the European Union,” said the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“We opposed confrontational statements from the very start. We initially spoke in favor of formulating the statements in favor of further development of the Eastern Partnership Initiative,” he said.