Belarus is interested in the liberalization
of mutual trade with the EU, said Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei
Kobyakov at a meeting with the Head of the Delegation of the European
Commission in Ukraine and Belarus Jose Manuel Pinto
Teixeira on 18 December in Minsk. "The Government of Belarus
takes very seriously the possibility of intensifying mutual relations with the
EU. By today the preconditions for the equalization of relations between Belarus and the EU have been created",
said the Vice-Premier. Andrei Kobyakov listed indicators of the improvement of
the relations between Belarus and the EU: firstly, a decision of October
meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union in
Luxembourg.
The meeting
set the basis for the resumption of a full political dialogue. Secondly, the “forms
of cooperation with our European partners on key issues of mutual interest” are
expanding and becoming more tangible.
However Andrei
Kobyakov stressed with regard to the decision of the EU against Belarus on 13 October
2008 that
it is "viewed as an intermediate step for establishment of full-scale relations."
Belarus looks forward to further steps to be made by the EU
for the development of these decisions at a meeting of Foreign Ministers.
Vice-premier
also expressed hope that "in April 2009 issues of visa restrictions will
be removed from the agenda permanently."
He also
stressed that Belarus is interested in full and pragmatic
cooperation with the EU in the areas of mutual interest with the emphasis on
the economic dimension. The existence of the European Commission representation
Office in Minsk enables both sides to use it in further developing and
strengthening mutual relations between Belarus and the European Union, said Andrei
Kobyakov.
In the
future the principal importance will be a decision on programmes’ legal basis
in relation to Belarus and the European Union, said the Vice-PM.
It concerns the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation, as well as the
Interim Agreement on Trade. These documents are not yet in force, although they
were signed long ago. As a result with the time they have lost their relevance
and require further consideration. In this context, it is appropriate to
reflect on the legal processing of relations between Belarus and the European Union and start to
develop a new agreement on partnership and cooperation.
Belarus is also interested in the
liberalization of mutual trade with the EU. This concerns the status of the
user generalized system of preferences the European Commission. "We very
much hope that the European Commission in Belarus will promote the mutual
dialogue", underlined the Vice-Premier.
Belarus and the EU will sign at the
beginning of the 2009 Declaration on Cooperation in the energy sector. This was
announced by head of the European Commission in Ukraine and Belarus Jose Manuel Pinto
Teixeira at a meeting with Belarussian Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov.
Jose Manuel
Pinto Teixeira said that the European Commission is studying the possibility of
connecting Belarus to funding from the European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development and European Investment Bank.
Meeting
with Vice-Premier Andrei Kobyakov goes after another meeting, which took place
at the head of the European Commission Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira with the
Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov. During her were handed copies of
his credentials.
As noted by
the head of the European Commission, these meetings, and planned to sign a
framework agreement between the Government of Belarus and the European
Commission "reflects the new dynamic relationship at the moment."
Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira said that in October in Luxembourg at a meeting of the Council of
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union had hoped for the resumption
of full relations with Belarus as well as interest in intensifying
technical cooperation with Belarus.
"In
addition to the already existing areas of cooperation we have initiated a new
consultation on other fronts”, said the Head of the European Commission. “Therefore
on 1-2 December in Minsk the first round of consultations in the field of
food security and agriculture took place. There is a possibility of the first
round of consultations on cooperation between the financial services of Belarus and the EU in early 2009”, he added.
The head of
the European Commission said the EU expects Belarus steps that will implement the
planned areas of cooperation.
The EU is
interested in normalizing relations with Belarus, told reporters in Minsk, the head of the Delegation of the
European Commission in Ukraine and Belarus Jose Manuel Pinto
Teixeira of the meeting at Government House.
"Normalization
of relations between EU and Belarus is possible in all spheres",
said the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission.
He noted
that last October in Luxembourg meeting of the Council of Ministers
of Foreign Affairs of the European Union, it was decided "to allow and
make possible high-level contacts between officials of Belarus and the European Union."
Currently,
the process of monitoring the EU for Belarus "to take further action on the
networking relations with Belarus”. Head of Delegation of the
European Commission expressed hope that in the future it will be possible to
normalize relations between the EU and Belarus in all areas. According to him, there
is an interest of the leadership of the EU in normalizing relations with Belarus. "We are pleased to note a
number of steps taken by Belarus in line with the expectations of
the EU", said Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira. Such a trend seen in the context
of the new European Commission proposals initiated by the Eastern Partnership.
It provides for the summit to be held in Prague in May 2009. The event included a
program of the Czech presidency of the EU, said the Head of Representation
Office.
On 19
December the Framework Agreement between the Government of Belarus and the
European Commission was signed in Minsk. This document includes the
regulation of relations between Belarus and the EU in the field of
technical assistance.
The
document has been signed with Belarus Deputy Prime Minister Andrei
Kobyakov in the presence of the Heads of Delegation of the European Commission
in Ukraine and Belarus Jose Manuel Pinto
Teixeira.
As it was explained
to reporters later on, the Head of the European Commission in 1996 the parties
have signed an agreement on partnership and cooperation, but it was not yet in
force. So, now it was updated.
According
to Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira, "the process of normalization of relations
between Belarus and the EU will continue, since
both sides would be interested in the creation of decent legal framework for
the development of mutual relations."
"At
present it is difficult to say that this state of relations has been achieved”,
said Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira. “The substance of the agreement in the future
will be a component in the negotiations between Belarus and the EU. And this process has
already begun at the level of peer interaction on a number of fronts".
In
December, there were consultations held on new areas of cooperation: in the
field of food security and agriculture. It is expected to hold consultations on
other fronts: between the financial services, energy, environmental protection.
Head of the Delegation of the European Commission expressed the hope that these
processes will be constructive and in the future will bring practical results.
