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29 Nov 2013

Belarus ready to negotiate simpler visa procedures with EU

MINSK, 29 November (BelTA) – The Belarusian side is ready to start negotiations with the European Union on signing agreements on readmission and on streamlining visa procedures. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei made the statement at the Eastern Partnership Initiative summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on 29 November, the press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry told BelTA.

Vladimir Makei was the head of the Belarus delegation at the Eastern Partnership Initiative summit, which took place in Vilnius on 28-29 November. At the plenary session the head of the Belarusian delegation delivered a speech to evaluate the implementation of the Initiative and its results. Vladimir Makei outlined principal challenges that the participants face. The future of the Eastern Partnership Initiative will depend on adequate answers to those challenges, he said.

Belarus has mixed feelings about achievements of the Eastern Partnership Initiative as a regional project for now. The feelings mainly owe to a number of false choices imposed upon partnering states with regard to the content and the pace of modernization changes, the forms and modality of cooperation, and strategic integration intentions.

With this in mind Vladimir Makei spoke in favor of taking into account peculiarities and needs of the partnering states to a larger degree. It is also necessary to prevent the Initiative from evolving into a bone of discord, with new dividing lines emerging in Europe. The Minister underlined the importance of implementing the Belarusian idea of integration of integrations for the sake of building a common economic space that would stretch from Lisbon to Vladivostok and for the sake of enabling effective interaction between the European Union and the Customs Union / Single Economic Space.

Vladimir Makei confirmed Belarus’ interest in promoting an open dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation with the European Union for the sake of forming a genuine partnership. The Belarusian Foreign Minister underlined the importance of resolving the issues, which are of primary importance for the general public. He officially declared Belarus’ readiness to start negotiations with the European Union on signing agreements to facilitate visa procedures and to enable readmission. At the same time he noted that the European Union has to lift sanctions and restrictive measures from Belarus as the measures contradict the spirit of the Eastern Partnership Initiative and its fundamental principles.

Summit participants signed the Vilnius Declaration, which outlines measures to further advance the Initiative. The roadmap reaffirms fundamental principles of the Eastern Partnership Initiative, including the equal nature of participation in the Initiative. The document also takes into account objective differences in intentions and approaches of individual partnering states towards shaping their relations with the European Union.

The declaration recognizes Belarus’ important role in ensuring energy security of Europe. The document welcomes dialogues about economics, finance, environment and education. Belarus’ participation in the European Union’s nuclear safety stress tests is praised. Participants of the summit also pointed out the ongoing exchange of opinions between the Belarus government and the European Union for the sake of determining the best form of cooperation in modernization matters. Participants of the summit also spoke in favor of the launch of the Belarus-EU talks on the agreements to facilitate visa procedures and to enable readmission.

The Belarusian Foreign Minister also held negotiations with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. The sides discussed ways to further develop the dialogue and cooperation between Belarus and Poland in the short term and the medium term.

Meetings with top officials of European bodies were held as well as meetings with foreign ministers of other European Union countries and partnering states.

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