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Opinions & Interviews

31 Oct 2014

FM: Rapprochement with EU among Belarus’ foreign policy priorities

MINSK, 31 October (BelTA) – Normalization of relations with the EU is one of the most important priorities of Belarus’ foreign policy, Andrei Yeroshkin, deputy head of the department for European cooperation at the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, said at a roundtable on the Belarusian-European relations, BelTA has learned.

“Belarusian-European relations are one of the most important priorities of the Belarusian foreign policy. Normalization of relations with the European Union is the natural desire of Belarus, as a European state, to live in harmony with its neighbor, to use cooperation opportunities for promoting the modernization of the country, increasing economic competitiveness and ensuring security and well-being of citizens. We believe that the development of a strong, stable, prosperous and predictable Belarus is in the interest of the EU and its member countries. At the same time, we have always said that any sanctions or other forms of pressure are unacceptable. We believe that such actions do not only help resolve the existing problems but also create new ones, aggravating the situation, driving its deeper into a deadlock of misunderstanding and estrangement,” Andrei Yeroshkin said.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry voiced its official position on this issue, which says that "forward movement is possible only through a mutually respectful dialogue, without preconditions and demands, without creating artificial obstacles and with active cooperation to resolve existing problems.” “We believe that as part of the normalization process we should search for common ground where joint action can achieve a result that meets the interests of both parties. This is the only way to avoid misunderstanding and reciprocal reproaches,” the Foreign Ministry official said.

Special attention should be paid to the economic component of the Belarusian-EU cooperation, in particular trade. Last year Belarus and the EU reached a record level of trade of $26.8 billion. The EU is the second most important market for Belarusian exports. "The European Union continues to be an important source of credits and investments. The EU countries account for nearly half of all foreign investment attracted to Belarus. This clearly confirms the common interest in economy,” said Andrei Yeroshkin.

He also noted that Belarus' transit potential has been increasing in importance for the EU, including in the light of the development of Eurasian integration. "Our country is actually turning into an advantageous platform for European companies to access the vast market of the Eurasian Economic Union, and, via it, the markets in Asia, China,” Andrei Yeroshkin noted.

The Eastern Partnership initiative is considered an important tool for normalizing the relations with the EU. "From the point of view of our country, this format has a great potential for the development of cooperation in various fields such as the strengthening of borders, fight against illegal migration, organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, protecting the environment," said Andrei Yeroshkin.

The roundtable discussion on topical issues of Belarusian-European relations has been organized by the Information Point of the Council of Europe in Minsk and the ECOOM analytical center in cooperation with the Belarusian State University.

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