Gunnar Wiegand has arrived to Minsk

A high-ranking representative of EU`s European External Action Service stays in Minsk from 24 to 25 September.

Gunnar Wiegand, the European External Action Service`s director for Russia, the Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and the OSCE, is having a two-day visit to Minsk starting from Tuesday, September 24. 

Mr. Wiegand`s working visit "will be mainly focused on the Dialogue on Modernisation and Mr Wiegand will meet all the interested parties to speak about ways this Dialogue can develop in the future," the European Union`s Delegation to Belarus told BelaPAN. 

Mr. Wiegand last visited Belarus in December 2012. During the visit, he had a meeting with Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makei. The ministry`s press office then reported, without elaborating, that Messrs. Makei and Wiegand “discussed a range of issues concerning the current state of the relationship between Belarus and the EU and ways of its normalization.

Let us recall that “the European Dialogue on Modernization with Belarusan society (EDM)” programme was approved by the Council of Europe on March 23, 2012. The programme presupposes a multiparty exchange of opinions and ideas between the EU and the representatives of Belarusan civil society ad political opposition on the reforms necessary for Belarus, the related potential development of relations with the EU and the possibility of support from the EU. The dialogue will focus on four key areas for EU-Belarus relations: political reform, reform of the judiciary and person-to-person contacts, economic and sector policy issues, and trade and market reform. Official Minsk has refused and ignored invitations to get involved in the program, which was designed specifically for Belarus.