Can Eastern Partnership do without Russia?

Belarus Foreign Minister in Brussels stated about the importance of engaging Russia in the EaP activities in order to “avoid creation of new dividing lines in the region”.

Belarusan Foreign Minister also discussed the current issues and opportunities of developing cooperation between Belarus and the European partners at the EU and bilateral level.

As“EuroBelarus” Information Service has already reported, on July 22, 2014 Uladzimir Makei, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, took part in the Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting.

Among the participants of the meeting were High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States and the EaP Partner Countries.

According to the press service of the Belarus Foreign Ministry, the Ministerial Meeting focused on the EaP implementation after the 2013 Vilnius Summit as well as the prospects of future development and possible reformatting taking into account the current situation in the region and the signing by Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine of the Association Agreements with the EU. The ministers also discussed preparation for the EaP forth Summit to be held in Riga (Latvia) on 22 May 2015.

In his plenary statement Uladzimir Makei outlined Belarus’ principal approaches towards the development of the relations with the European Union and participation in the Eastern Partnership. He stressed the necessity for a greater differentiation in the relations of the EU with the EaP Partner Countries with account taken of their needs, interests and integration aspirations. Particular attention was drawn to the importance of harmonizing different integration processes and engaging third countries, first of all Russia, in the EaP activities in order to avoid creation of new dividing lines in the region.