Events

MINSK, 7 October (BelTA) – Belarus and the European Union have plans to sign a joint declaration to establish a mobility partnership, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Interior Ministry.

“Belarusian Interior Minister Igor Shunevich will pay a visit to Luxembourg next week to sign a joint declaration to establish a mobility partnership between the Republic of Belarus, the European Union and the EU member states participating in the partnership. The document is expected to lay the basis for further cooperation in migration matters. It will enable the countries to manage the migration flows more effectively and also combat trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants,” the Interior Ministry said.

Belarusian interior officers together with European Commission experts have drafted an agreement on readmission between Belarus and the European Union. Such agreements are designed to ensure a civilized and humane approach to countering illegal migration, the ministry noted.

The difficult migration situation in a number of countries leads to a growth in the number of illegal migrants who attempt to cross Belarus to get to the European Union.

Under such challenging conditions, Belarus and its western partners need well-developed cooperation ties. Last week, the Belarusian Interior Ministry hosted meetings with Ambassador of Poland to Belarus Konrad Pawlik and Poland’s First Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration Jakub Skiba. “The parties discussed mainly the migration situation in Belarus and Poland and the European region in general, and also the prospects for their cooperation in this field. Unfortunately, today we do not have any fundamental documents that would regulate our cooperation with the EU member states in migration matters. We hope that the situation will change soon,” the Interior Ministry noted.

Keeping in mind the upcoming signing of the declaration on a mobility partnership and the ongoing drafting of a readmission agreement, the Polish side showed readiness to participate in the implementation of EU-sponsored projects, for instance, those aimed to enhance border security and to combat transnational crime.