Events

MINSK, 6 May (BelTA) - Cooperation prospects between Belarus and the European Union, including within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, were discussed during a working visit of Belarus Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alena Kupchyna to Paris on 5-6 May, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.

“On 5 May Alena Kupchyna met with French Minister of State for European Affairs Harlem Desir. The parties discussed the prospects of cooperation between Belarus and the European Union, including the interaction within the Eastern Partnership initiative. Special attention was paid to the preparation for the Riga Summit. The parties discussed the issues of bilateral relations and outlined the steps to strengthen political, trade and cultural ties, including the arrangement of joint events,” the press service informed.

The status of implementation of the agreements reached during the first session of the Belarusian-French joint commission on economic cooperation was discussed during a meeting with the chairperson of the French part of the commission, head of bilateral relations and foreign economic activity of enterprises of the General Directorate of the Treasury of the Ministry of Finance Sandrine Gaudin. The sides discussed the progress in the implementation of major investment projects carried out in Belarus with the participation of French companies, cooperation in agriculture, transport, environment, tourism, pharmaceutics, prospects of expansion of interaction between the business communities of the two countries.

Alena Kupchyna and Sandrine Gaudin agreed to hold the next meeting of the joint commission and a business forum in Paris in early 2016.

Alena Kupchyna also met with President of the Group of Friendship France-Belarus in the National Assembly of France, Mayor of Tourcoing Gerald Darmanin to discuss the ways of expanding the inter-parliamentary relations, and the prospects for the development of contacts between the regions of Belarus and France.

During the visit, Alena Kupchyna also took part in a reception on behalf of the heads of diplomatic missions of the CIS countries on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

On 6 May Alena Kupchyna is set to meet with Director-General for Political and Security Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France Nicolas De Riviere and Director for Continental Europe of the Foreign Ministry Eric Fournier.